Through the middle of the old town, we pass the Elisenbrunnen fountain, cathedral and town hall before driving through the secluded city garden. It was originally laid out in 1852 by Peter Josef Lené as the garden of a nearby Bürgerspittal and later became the core of the spa gardens.

At Europaplatz, surrounded by the highway ramp and industrial area, we immerse ourselves in a green oasis. Far away from residential areas and traffic, we follow the babbling Wurm. Bushes, trees, fish and, at the beginning, the smell of jam accompany us along the stream. On the way, we pass Gut Kalkofen, one of the many manorial estates in the rural urban area, whose roots go back to the Middle Ages.

The plain of the Soers opens up a vast old cultural landscape. The sale of some farms continues the tradition of the former Aachen quarter, which was already responsible for supplying the Palatinate and the city in the days of Emperor Charles. Like the defensive tower of Rahe, the defiant courtyard walls also contributed to the external defense of Aachen. In the 19th century, some of the estates, such as the Scheuer estate, developed into country residences for the local industrial aristocracy. At Rahe Castle, the representative building was equipped with a landscaped park in the 18th century.

Along the torrent, our next companion, grain mills and later fulling and cloth mills were built and their buildings and mill ponds have been preserved, as at Stockheider Mühle. In Seffent, too, it flows through the town's historic cultivated land. It is named after the septem fontes - seven springs - that find their way here from the Schneeberg. Seffent Castle with its surrounding square courtyards looks back on over 1,100 years of history as a royal court.

Up and down through the greenery at the edge of the basin, the route leads up to the Öcher Bösch. For centuries, it had been a central source of wood for hunting and grazing cattle when Mayor Pelzer took the initiative and placed it under special protection in 1882. As a result, trees were allowed to grow over 100 years old and a recreational forest with hiking trails and shelters was created. A streetcar took the people of Aachen out into the countryside to the Waldschenke, where we can also take a break.

The great Aachen circuit takes us up almost to the highest point of the closed forest belt with its imposing old deciduous trees. The effort is worth it, as we wind our way back down to the old Köpfchen border station, where we can take a well-earned break and cycle across the Eupener Straße to the next forest stage, which is flatter this time.

Back in the residential area, we cycle comfortably on the Vennbahn route through Brand and in Eilendorf we cycle stress-free on excellent priority cycle routes. The Haarbach is soon our companion; it once supplied three mills. The Welsche Mühle mill on our cycle route dates back to the 15th century. The preserved gem is a technical treasure and can grind two types of grain at the same time. The stream leads us back into the green realm of the Wurm towards the city center.

Sights along the route:

• Cathedral, town hall, market
• city garden
• Carolus Therme
• Europaplatz
• Kalkofen estate
• Soers cultural landscape, manor houses, mills
• Rahe Castle
• Historic town center of Seffent, castle, square courtyards
• Clinic
• Köpfchen border crossing
• Welsche Mill