Watchtowers WP 12/40 to 12/59 and Fort site and civil settlement of Welzheim

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. Watchtowers WP 12/40 to 12/59

   The Romans called it the edge of the world they cared about, and in the Rems valley east of Schwäbisch Gmünd you can still trace where they drew the line. A string of watchtower sites, numbered by archaeologists along the stretch between Mögglingen, Heuchlingen and Böbingen, marks the course of the Raetian Limes, the frontier that guarded the province of Raetia in the second and third centuries. Here the frontier was a stone wall, which later locals, puzzled by the long ruined bank, called the Teufelsmauer, the Devil's Wall.

   Read the complete Watchtowers WP 12/40 to 12/59 write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

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

   Planning note

   Watchtowers WP 12/40 to 12/59 is where the day begins. Next is Fort site and civil settlement of Schirenh.

2. 2. Fort site and civil settlement of Schirenh

   On the southern edge of Schwäbisch Gmünd, near the Schirenhof farm, the outline of a Roman fort and the foundations of its bath house lie in the grass, with walls and hypocaust heating systems laid out for visitors to see. The fort guarded the point where the Upper Germanic Limes met the Raetian Limes, the two great frontier lines of Roman Germany, and a civilian settlement grew up around it. The site is part of the UNESCO Frontiers of the Roman Empire, and it is one of the more rewarding Limes stops in Baden-Württemberg, with visible remains and a lovely setting above the town.

   Read the complete Fort site and civil settlement of Schirenh 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 Schirenh comes up about 22 km into the recorded legs. Next is Fort site and civil settlement of Welzheim.

3. 3. 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

   about 43 km into the recorded legs you reach Fort site and civil settlement of Welzheim. Next is back through Fort site and civil settlement of Schirenh.

4. 4. back through Fort site and civil settlement of Schirenh

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

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

   Recorded stop-planning note

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

   Planning note

   back through Fort site and civil settlement of Schirenh, late in the day. Next is Watchtowers WP 12/40 to 12/59.

5. 5. Watchtowers WP 12/40 to 12/59

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Watchtowers WP 12/40 to 12/59 write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

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

   Planning note

   Back at Watchtowers WP 12/40 to 12/59. That is the ride.