The Taunus is the low, wooded range north of Frankfurt, and the Romans chose it as the place to draw their line. The Limes crossed the ridge at a height that gave good views over both sides, and watchtowers placed close together made it possible to send signals by fire and smoke from tower to tower. The numbers, such as WP 3/20, are from the survey carried out by German archaeologists at the end of the nineteenth century, and they refer to the third section of the line. The Upper Germanic-Raetian Limes was listed by UNESCO in 2005.
Here, near Idstein, the towers are low mounds and stone foundations in forest, with the Ferbach fortlet nearby, and the place is quiet and shady, with beech trees and a carpet of leaves. The fort of Zugmantel, a few kilometres away, was an important frontier post, and the Saalburg, near Bad Homburg, has a fort that was reconstructed in the early twentieth century and is now a museum, which gives a clear idea of what the buildings looked like.
Idstein itself is worth a look. The town has a well-preserved old centre with timber-framed houses, some of them carved and painted, a tower from the Middle Ages called the Witches' Tower, and a church with a painted interior, built by the counts of Nassau. The town was once a seat of the counts, and the castle courtyard has a fine view.
The Taunus is pleasant riding, with winding roads through beech and oak woods, small climbs and descents, and little villages on the way. The roads between Wiesbaden and Limburg are smooth and fast in places, and the quiet forest roads around Idstein offer more intimate bends. The Feldberg, the highest point of the range, is a popular goal, and it is busy on sunny weekends. Autumn brings red and gold, and winter can be icy at height. Idstein, three kilometres away, has fuel stations and cafes, and a Saturday market, and it is a good place for a break.