Along the Wörnitz valley in western Middle Franconia, near the village of Weiltingen, the line of the Raetian Limes cuts across the countryside, and the places where Roman watchtowers once stood are numbered by archaeologists in a dry sequence: WP 13/6, 13/7, and so on. In Raetia, the frontier was not a palisade, as in Upper Germany, but a stone wall about three metres high, and local people called its remains the Teufelsmauer, the Devil's Wall, believing that only the devil could have built something so long and straight. Today, you may see a low bank in a field or a line of trees following the old route, and in some places the foundations of towers have been marked or reconstructed.
The countryside around Weiltingen is a gentle landscape of fields, meadows and small woods, with the Wörnitz meandering through the valley. Dinkelsbühl, a few kilometres to the northwest, is one of the best preserved medieval towns in Germany, with intact walls, towers and gates, and half-timbered houses lining its streets. It lies on the Romantic Road, the tourist route from Würzburg to Füssen, and draws many visitors in summer. The area was largely spared destruction in the Second World War, which is why its old towns survive so well.
The riding is quiet and pleasant. Back roads link the villages along the Wörnitz and over the gentle hills, with good surfaces, light traffic and enough curves to keep you interested. The roads toward the Hesselberg, the highest point in Middle Franconia, climb a little more, and the views from the top are wide. Traffic is heavier on the Romantic Road near Dinkelsbühl, especially with tourist buses and camper vans. Spring brings green fields and blossom, autumn brings misty mornings and golden woods.
Weiltingen and nearby Wilburgstetten are small villages with a few shops and an inn, while Dinkelsbühl, about ten kilometres away, has pumps, coffee, proper meals and accommodation. Franconian food is hearty: try Schäufele, roast pork shoulder with a crispy crust, or bratwurst with sauerkraut, and maybe a local beer at the end of the day. Stop near the line of the Limes, look across the fields, and imagine the stone wall running into the distance, with towers at regular intervals and soldiers watching.