If you start at the church square in Simmerath, you will soon come across the Tiefenbachtal nature reserve. As soon as you have left the first trees of a small wood behind you, the Mariagrube is in sight. This former slate quarry from the 19th and 20th centuries is one of Simmerath's earliest "commercial enterprises". Slate was mined underground here from 1847 to around 1924. A spoil heap is a reminder of the decades of slate mining.

Following the Tiefenbach stream, the grove becomes a real forest and you reach deeper into the nature reserve until an old oil mill provides an insight into the 17th century: The building complex still gives a very good idea of how edible oils were produced here back then. Up to now, the route has been rather uphill, but the path soon becomes steeper and after a walk of around two kilometers, the forest thins out and you reach the district of Huppenbroich. Here you can admire the Christkönig Chapel, which had to overcome many obstacles before it was inaugurated in 1947. The construction of the church suffered particularly during the Second World War under National Socialism; it was only during the course of reconstruction that the villagers were able to fulfill their dream of having their own chapel.

From Huppenbroich, the route then leads back to Simmerath, where the sight of St. Johann Baptist Church forms a beautiful conclusion to the hike.