On the western side of the Taunus, the hills are lower and the forest gives way more often to farmland, with villages in the folds of the valleys. Idstein, a small town with a remarkable old centre, sits on this side, with Waldems and Glashütten nearby. Through the woods above them ran the Roman frontier, and the stretch of watchtowers numbered WP 3/24 to 3/40 followed the ridges here, part of the Upper Germanic Limes and of the UNESCO Frontiers of the Roman Empire site.
The Limes in this area is best experienced on foot or by following the signposted Limes routes, which trace the line of the frontier through the forest. The bank and ditch are often clearly visible, running straight over hills and through valleys with the indifference to terrain that characterises Roman engineering. Here and there, the stone foundations of watchtowers survive, and a few have been rebuilt. Standing at one of these sites, in the quiet of the forest, it is easy to imagine a lonely Roman soldier keeping watch over the wild lands beyond.
Idstein, about five kilometres away, is a gem. Its old town is full of half-timbered houses, some of them richly carved, grouped around a market square, and the town's landmark is the Hexenturm, the witches' tower, a tall medieval keep with a pointed roof, part of the castle of the Counts of Nassau. The Unionskirche has a remarkable interior covered with Baroque paintings. The town is less well known than other half-timbered towns in Germany, which makes it all the more pleasant to visit.
The riding here is good. The roads through the western Taunus, toward the Weil valley, Bad Camberg and the Aar valley, wind through forest and farmland, with good bends and moderate traffic. They are quieter than the roads around the Feldberg, which are packed with bikes at weekends. The surfaces are excellent. The weather in the Taunus can be cooler and wetter than in the Rhine valley.
Waldems has basic services, and Idstein has fuel and all services. Local food includes the Handkäse mit Musik, a sour milk cheese marinated with onions, and apple wine. Spring and autumn, when the forest colours change, are the best times to ride here.