North of Frankfurt, the Wetterau opens out as a wide, fertile basin between the Taunus and the Vogelsberg, and the Roman frontier made a long bulge around it to bring this rich farmland inside the empire. This section of the Upper Germanic Limes, with watchtowers WP 4/45 to 4/52, runs through the woods and fields between Langgöns and Lich, at the northern tip of that bulge. The towers are long gone, but traces of the wall and ditch can still be found in the forest.
The landscape here is rolling and gentle. The Wetterau is one of the oldest farmed areas in Germany, known for its fertile loess soils, and the fields of wheat, sugar beet and rapeseed stretch to the horizon. To the north and west, the forests of the Hausberg and the Taunus rise, and to the east lies the volcanic landscape of the Vogelsberg, the largest volcanic area in Central Europe.
The riding is pleasant rather than spectacular. Country roads run between villages and through forests, with gentle curves and good surfaces. The roads into the Vogelsberg, to the east, are more interesting, with longer climbs, more curves and fewer cars. On weekends, the area around the Hoherodskopf, the highest point of the Vogelsberg, is popular with riders. To the west, the Taunus offers more hills and forests, with the Feldberg as its highest point.
Near Lich lies the ruined Cistercian monastery of Arnsburg, a lovely, peaceful place with Gothic arches open to the sky and a cemetery for soldiers of the Second World War. Lich itself is known for its brewery, whose beer is popular across Hesse, and its old town has half-timbered houses and a fine church. The nearby fort of Arnsburg was one of the Roman forts along this stretch of the Limes.
Langgöns, about five kilometres away, and Lich are both towns with fuel, shops and restaurants. Giessen, a university city, is a little further north. Look for a traditional Hessian inn serving Handkäs mit Musik, a tangy sour-milk cheese marinated with onions, and a glass of Ebbelwoi, the local apple wine.