Tunnel view into the countryside! In a colorful graffiti look, a railroad underpass lures us into the neighboring world of the Wurmtal, parallel to the current Aachen-Mönchengladbach railroad line. On the way, the path often resembles a green alley. Old beech trees with whimsical trunks and a small canal that flows into the Wurm accompany us along the way. The Westwall appears out of nowhere. Built between 1936 and 1940 as an anti-tank bulwark, the Nazi "Höckerlinie" now ekes out a peaceful existence, sinking into the floodplain of the Wurm in some places. The current railroad line is followed by a disused one after a junction. From 1882, the old railroad embankment on the way into the floodplain connected the former Maria Theresia open-cast lignite mine on the right-hand side of the Wurm to the main line to Herzogenrath. At the entrance to the wide floodplain, fruit trees now form a trellis for hikers. The extensive orchards of apples, plums and pears provide food and ideal retreats for all kinds of insects, butterflies and birds. After the crossing, the Wurm shows its edge. We climb its steep slope and pass two sandstone quarries with a buried tunnel entrance. Black claystone fragments along the path are a reminder of how close the coal seams are here, which is why they were mined in the Middle Ages.