There is a stretch of the Roman frontier in southern Germany that runs almost perfectly straight for about eighty kilometres, from Walldürn in the Odenwald to near Welzheim in the Swabian-Franconian Forest, ignoring hills and valleys alike, as if the surveyors had simply drawn a line on a map. The watchtowers numbered WP 9/101 to 9/131 stand near the southern end of that line, in the forests around Kaisersbach and Welzheim, where the Limes finally turns.
How the Romans managed such precision is still debated, but the result was a frontier that stretched across rough terrain, through forests and over ridges, with towers at regular intervals. At Welzheim there were two forts, and the eastern fort has a reconstructed gate in an archaeological park. Along the trails in the forest, you can find the remains of tower foundations and the bank and ditch of the frontier, and information boards explain what you are looking at.
The Swabian-Franconian Forest is wonderful riding country. The hills are covered with dense forests of spruce and beech, cut by deep valleys, and the roads wind through them with constant bends, climbs and descents. The Ebnisee, a small lake in the forest near Kaisersbach, is a popular destination for riders and families on weekends. The roads are generally well surfaced, but shaded sections can stay damp, and forest roads can have leaves and gravel. Weekends are busy with riders and cyclists, and police controls are frequent.
Kaisersbach and Althütte are small villages with basic services, and Welzheim, six kilometres away, is a town of eleven thousand with fuel and shops. The forest is dotted with inns serving Swabian food: Maultaschen, large stuffed pasta squares, Spätzle, egg noodles, and roast meat with gravy. In the forests, the air is cool and smells of resin, even in summer, and the silence is broken only by birds and the occasional motorcycle. Walking a short stretch of the Limes path in the forest is a good way to understand the scale of the Roman frontier.