Not too far from Wiesbaden in Hesse on what’s called the “Way of the Eagle” is the town of Heidenrod.
By the way, I’m not making this Way of the Eagle thing up. But what is this Way of the Eagle business anyway?
The town of Heidenrod (and the whole surrounding area) was once the haunt of the Romans. This “Way” is just the modern day touristy route that links a few of the former Roman forts in the towns of Heidenrod (of course), Aarbergen, Hohenstein, Bad Schwalbach, and Taunusstein).
In addition to looking at part of the Roman Legion’s defense system, you can also camp out in Heidenrod (kind of like they did) and pretend you’re Julius Caesar or something. The Wisperpark is one of the most popular, in case you’re interested.
Running around playing army or roughing it within might not be your idea of a good time, so good thing you’ll find a couple of castle ruins in the village of Geroldstein (one of the nineteen villages of Heidenrod), which also has quite a few hiking trails along its many hills.
In the village of Nauroth it’s not just about the forest, there’s a good deal of wine growing going on; and the town’s historic Town Hall is one of the town’s attractions.
If you’re worried about getting lost in the great expanse of forest, you can get yourself a guided tour of the woods. One such tour gives you all the information you can handle of many of the local animals that call Heidenrod home, right down to the nocturnal bat.
The rest of your time in Heidenrod is spent in other outdoor pursuits. Fishing is one of the more popular pastimes, as well as horseback riding.
In case you get hungry there are plenty of grilling huts in the forest (and along the trails) for an afternoon picnic.
I hardly think those Romans had it as good as you will when you visit Hesse’s Heidenrod.
