The Aachen Forest, through which the hiking route runs, is an extremely popular recreational area for the inhabitants of the border region. The ridge in the south of Aachen's urban area is almost completely forested, with the stands offering a great deal of variety - the spectrum ranges from mighty beech forests to coniferous areas and diverse mixed stands.

The route leads from Köpfchen along the border to Entenpfuhl and back to the starting point via Alt-Linzenshäuschen and Pionierquelle. The hike starts at the German-Belgian border crossing at Köpfchen. The border post was built as a result of the increase in freight traffic in the 1950s. After the border was opened in 1995 (Schengen Agreement), the facilities were abandoned and threatened with decay. It was only when the German-Belgian association "Kunst und Kultur im Köpfchen" (KuKuK) was founded in 2000 that the preservation of the Belgian customs building was secured. Since then, the site has been revitalized with diverse and well-attended cultural events, and a redesign planned for 2009 will further enhance its value.

From the Köpfchen border crossing, the route initially leads westwards and encounters the remains of the former Westwall. The Westwall is a relic of National Socialist war policy that has been preserved as a landscape marker in many places in the Aachen region - including south of the Rotsiefweg, west of Köpfchen. Between 1936 and 1938, more than 14,000 bunkers, tunnels and a 76-kilometer-long hump line were built for anti-tank defence. Some of the humps, also known as "Hitler's asparagus", are now listed buildings and over time have become a refuge for many rare plants and animals.

As Route 5 continues, you briefly cross the border and cross the Aachener Landgraben. There is still a very beautiful ensemble here with a rampart, eagle stone and border beech trees. A little further on, just behind the Schmalzloch hut, you can again see huge border beech trees a short distance off the route. Follow the turn-off to Grünthal/Kelmis for a few meters to reach imposing beech trees. Having not been pruned for a hundred years, they have grown from their original heads into individual trunks. A theme board explains this process.

The trail continues through the Aachen Forest via Gut Entenpfuhl. At the Alt-Linzenshäuschen, the history of the Landgraben is revisited. The moat of the Aachen Empire was secured with watchtowers. One of these watchtowers is the tower on the Brandenberg. In 1499, Lenz Besteyn - in High German: Laurenz Sebastian - was appointed guard for life. Due to his small stature and the stately residential tower for the time, he was popularly known as "Leensgyn up ghen Huysyijn" - "Lenzchen auf seinem Häuschen". Over the centuries, the name of the tower evolved into "Linzenshäuschen".

Before the tour ends at the Köpfchen border crossing, the border route comes across the Pionierquelle, a place steeped in history. It was created in 1939/40, shortly before the German Wehrmacht invaded Belgium and the Netherlands, by pioneer troops who were quartered nearby. A shelter with the same name invites you to rest. There is a children's playground directly opposite.