Idstein sits in a bowl of the Taunus hills north of Wiesbaden, and its centre is among the best-kept half-timbered towns in Hesse. The Killinger House, a tall timber-framed building with elaborate carving, is the showpiece, and the Witches' Tower, a stone remnant of the old castle, stands above the old town as a reminder of a darker chapter. The Roman Limes passes through the hills just to the north, and Watchtower 3/23 is one of many positions on the ridge, part of the line that ran for about five hundred kilometres across Germany.
The Taunus section of the Limes is particularly rewarding for walkers, since the line follows the high ground, and nearby is the fort of Zugmantel, one of the larger sites in the area. Rome's soldiers here were watching a frontier of forests and farms, and the weather could be miserable: damp, cold and misty for much of the year. The local geology is slate and quartzite, giving the hills a dark, wooded character, and the streams are fast and clear.
For riders, the Taunus is one of the best playgrounds in the Rhine-Main area. Roads climb out of Idstein toward Niedernhausen and the ridge, with long, medium-fast bends, a few tight corners and good surfaces, and the forests close in with a sense of cool and shade. Weekends bring many bikes and cyclists, and speed limits are enforced, with cameras and police in some places, so ride with a margin. Early morning on a weekday is the nicest time, with mist in the valleys, and autumn colour on the beeches is outstanding. In winter, ice can linger on shaded roads until noon.
Idstein has fuel stations, supermarkets, a bakery on nearly every corner and several restaurants in the old town, and Niedernhausen and Waldems have smaller services. Hessian specialities include green sauce and apple wine, and a coffee and a cake under the timber-framed gables is a good reward. Walk a short section of the Limes path, notice the bank and ditch, and see how a straight line was laid out across the hills.