Why this ride
A 158 km round trip from Ellwangen - roughly 3 h 38 in the saddle. On the way it passes Limessection between Watchtowers WP 13/5 a, Watchtowers WP 13/16 to 13/36 including fo, Watchtower WP 13/54 and Watchtower WP 14/28.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Building remains of south of Pfahlheim and Watchtower WP 14/28
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 158 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 3 h 38
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Scenic road chapters
Romantic Road
Expect company on a summer weekend. Early is better than fast. For about 16 km this is Romantic Road, a road with a name of its own and a reason for it.
Chapter facts
- Length
- 16 km
- Named road
- Romantic Road
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Building remains of south of Pfahlheim
The name of the village gives the game away. Pfahlheim, a part of Ellwangen in the Ostalb, takes its name from the Pfahl, the stake line, which is what generations of farmers called the Roman frontier that ran through their fields. Here, at the edge of what is now Baden-Württemberg, the Upper German Limes and the Raetian Limes met, and the building remains south of the village are one of many small components of the UNESCO-listed Upper German-Raetian Limes. The frontier ran almost dead straight across this country for long distances, ignoring hills and streams in a way that still baffles people. There is very little to see on the ground today, perhaps a low bank or a signboard, but the line can be traced by eye if you know where to look.
Read the complete Building remains of south of Pfahlheim write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Building remains of south of Pfahlheim is where the day begins. Next is Limessection between Watchtowers WP 13/5 a.
2. Limessection between Watchtowers WP 13/5 a
In the fields near Wilburgstetten, in the west of Franconia, a low ridge runs across the landscape, overgrown with grass and bushes. It looks like nothing much, but it is the remains of the Raetian Limes, the stone wall that marked the frontier of the Roman province of Raetia in the second and third centuries. Unlike the Upper German Limes to the north west, which was mostly a palisade and ditch, the Raetian section was eventually built as a continuous stone wall, more than a hundred and sixty kilometres long. Local people later called it the Teufelsmauer, the Devil's Wall, believing it could only have been built by supernatural forces. The section between watchtowers here is part of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage Site.
Read the complete Limessection between Watchtowers WP 13/5 a write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Limessection between Watchtowers WP 13/5 a comes up about 16 km into the recorded legs. Next is Watchtowers WP 13/16 to 13/36 including fo.
3. Watchtowers WP 13/16 to 13/36 including fo
The Raetian Limes ran across southern Franconia as a stone wall, and between Wassertrüdingen and Gunzenhausen it climbed over low hills and crossed the valleys of small rivers, with watchtowers at regular intervals. The group from WP 13/16 to 13/36 includes the sites of several towers and a fortlet, now visible as low mounds and foundations, sometimes with reconstructions, and they are part of the Upper German-Raetian Limes World Heritage listing. In the woods and fields, a line of stones or a slight bank may mark the course of the wall.
Read the complete Watchtowers WP 13/16 to 13/36 including fo write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 41 km into the recorded legs you reach Watchtowers WP 13/16 to 13/36 including fo. Next is Watchtower WP 13/54.
4. Watchtower WP 13/54
Gunzenhausen is a small town in Middle Franconia, on the Altmühl river, and the Roman frontier ran right through it. Watchtower WP 13/54 stood within what is now the town, and the course of the frontier is traced through the streets. It is unusual to find the Roman frontier in an urban setting, and it is a nice surprise as you wander the streets.
Read the complete Watchtower WP 13/54 write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Watchtower WP 13/54, about halfway. Next is Watchtower WP 14/28.
5. Watchtower WP 14/28
Near the Franconian town of Pleinfeld, the Raetian Limes, the stone wall that marked the frontier of the province of Raetia, crossed a landscape of woods, fields and small rivers, and a watchtower stood here, one of hundreds along the line. Watchtower WP 14/28 is now a low mound or reconstructed foundation, but it is part of the Upper Germanic-Raetian Limes World Heritage listing. The frontier here was a stone wall, known locally as the Teufelsmauer, the devil's wall, because medieval villagers could not believe that humans had built it.
Read the complete Watchtower WP 14/28 write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Watchtower WP 14/28 sits at 77 km, about halfway. Next is back through Watchtower WP 13/54.
6. back through Watchtower WP 13/54
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Watchtower WP 13/54 write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Watchtower WP 13/54 comes up about 100 km into the recorded legs. Next is back through Watchtowers WP 13/16 to 13/36 including fo.
7. back through Watchtowers WP 13/16 to 13/36 including fo
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Watchtowers WP 13/16 to 13/36 including fo write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 116 km into the recorded legs you reach back through Watchtowers WP 13/16 to 13/36 including fo. Next is back through Limessection between Watchtowers WP 13/5 a.
8. back through Limessection between Watchtowers WP 13/5 a
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Limessection between Watchtowers WP 13/5 a write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Limessection between Watchtowers WP 13/5 a, late in the day. Next is Building remains of south of Pfahlheim.
9. Building remains of south of Pfahlheim
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Building remains of south of Pfahlheim write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
The route ends here after 158 km.
Leg by leg
Building remains of south of Pfahlheim to Limessection between Watchtowers WP 13/5 a
Building remains of south of Pfahlheim → Limessection between Watchtowers WP 13/5 a is 16 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Limessection between Watchtowers WP 13/5 a to Watchtowers WP 13/16 to 13/36 including fo
Limessection between Watchtowers WP 13/5 a → Watchtowers WP 13/16 to 13/36 including fo is 25 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Watchtowers WP 13/16 to 13/36 including fo to Watchtower WP 13/54
Watchtowers WP 13/16 to 13/36 including fo → Watchtower WP 13/54 is 17 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Watchtower WP 13/54 to Watchtower WP 14/28
Watchtower WP 13/54 → Watchtower WP 14/28 is 20 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Watchtower WP 14/28 to back through Watchtower WP 13/54
Watchtower WP 14/28 → back through Watchtower WP 13/54 is 22 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Watchtower WP 13/54 to back through Watchtowers WP 13/16 to 13/36 including fo
back through Watchtower WP 13/54 → back through Watchtowers WP 13/16 to 13/36 including fo is 16 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Watchtowers WP 13/16 to 13/36 including fo to back through Limessection between Watchtowers WP 13/5 a
back through Watchtowers WP 13/16 to 13/36 including fo → back through Limessection between Watchtowers WP 13/5 a is 25 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Limessection between Watchtowers WP 13/5 a to Building remains of south of Pfahlheim
back through Limessection between Watchtowers WP 13/5 a → Building remains of south of Pfahlheim is 16 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
More motorcycle rides nearby
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- Limessection between watchtowers WP 13/40 and Watchtowers WP 12/86 to 13/5 including for starting at Wassertrüdingen · 87 km