Limessection between watchtowers WP 9/68 a and Fort site and civil settlement of Welzheim

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. Limessection between watchtowers WP 9/68 a

   Mainhardt is a small town in the Swabian-Franconian Forest, a long ridge of wooded hills east of Stuttgart and north of Schwäbisch Hall, and the Romans chose to drop their frontier straight through here. The Upper Germanic Limes runs dead straight for many kilometres in this region, up and down hills without regard to the terrain, because the surveyors drew the line first and let the army follow it. At Mainhardt there was a fort with a garrison of auxiliary soldiers, and the outline can be traced in the ground east of the town. The numbers on the label refer to the watchtowers, small timber and then stone posts that stood at intervals along the line within sight of one another.

   Read the complete Limessection between watchtowers WP 9/68 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 9/68 a is where the day begins. Next is Welzheim-Ost civil settlement northern par.

2. 2. Welzheim-Ost civil settlement northern par

   In the Swabian Forest east of Stuttgart, the Roman frontier ran as straight as a ruler for some eighty kilometres, ignoring hills and valleys in a way that still puzzles historians. Welzheim lies on this straight stretch of the Upper German-Raetian Limes, and the town had two Roman forts, the west and east forts, with a civil settlement around them. The northern part of the settlement near the east fort is one of the components of the Limes World Heritage Site, and the Ostkastell has been turned into an archaeological park with a reconstructed gate.

   Read the complete Welzheim-Ost civil settlement northern par write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Welzheim-Ost civil settlement northern par comes up about 35 km into the recorded legs. Next is Watchtowers WP 12/39.

3. 3. Watchtowers WP 12/39

   Iggingen is a small village on the plateau above the Rems valley, a few kilometres east of Schwäbisch Gmünd, and like many villages in this part of Württemberg it has a Roman frontier running through its fields. The site labelled Watchtower WP 12/39 sits on the Raetian Limes, the stone wall that marked the edge of Roman Raetia, and from here the line runs eastwards towards Aalen, the largest Roman cavalry fort north of the Alps, now home to an excellent Limes museum.

   Read the complete Watchtowers WP 12/39 write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   about 65 km into the recorded legs you reach Watchtowers WP 12/39. Next is Fort site and civil settlement of Welzheim.

4. 4. Fort site and civil settlement of Welzheim

   Welzheim had not one but two Roman forts, and that alone tells you how seriously the frontier was taken in the Swabian Forest. The larger west fort held a cavalry unit, while the smaller east fort, now an archaeological park on the edge of town, housed an auxiliary infantry detachment. At the east fort the west gate has been rebuilt to its full height, and standing in front of it you get a rare sense of scale that low foundations never give. Around both forts lay the civil settlement, the vicus, with workshops, taverns and homes.

   Read the complete Fort site and civil settlement of Welzheim write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Fort site and civil settlement of Welzheim, about halfway. Next is back through Watchtowers WP 12/39.

5. 5. back through Watchtowers WP 12/39

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Watchtowers WP 12/39 write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   back through Watchtowers WP 12/39 sits at 111 km, about halfway. Next is back through Welzheim-Ost civil settlement northern par.

6. 6. back through Welzheim-Ost civil settlement northern par

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Welzheim-Ost civil settlement northern par write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   back through Welzheim-Ost civil settlement northern par comes up about 159 km into the recorded legs. Next is Limessection between watchtowers WP 9/68 a.

7. 7. Limessection between watchtowers WP 9/68 a

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Limessection between watchtowers WP 9/68 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 9/68 a closes the day.