Dutch, German and Roman? This special mix awaits visitors in Herzogenrath. Explore the town and the border region around Herzogenrath on the 20 km loop. Because where the Romans once settled, the European idea is lived today: the town of Herzogenrath lies directly on the border with the Dutch town of Kerkrade. Over the centuries, the two towns have always been united as the "Land of s'Hertogenrode". Today, the two towns symbolically form the public corporation "Eurode". Two millennia ago, from the first to the fourth century AD to be precise, the area that is now Herzogenrath was in Roman hands: graves and settlement finds attest to the presence of the Romans in the small border town. At the Nivelstein, where there is a sandstone quarry, the Romans were already quarrying red sandstone. But that's not all: wherever there is excavation or construction, new sites from Roman times are discovered. Just a few years ago, for example, a Roman estate near Merkstein was fully archaeologically investigated. A living landmark in the heart of the town, detached from Herzogenrath's Roman history but still absolutely worth seeing, is the town's landmark: Rode Castle, which is located right in the center and, like Herzogenrath itself, was first mentioned in a document in 1104. Events such as concerts, exhibitions and cabaret performances regularly take place in the hilltop castle. An information center on Rode Castle, set up as part of the Roman Road Experience project, provides information about the town's fascinating past.

Highlights along the route:

• Übach-Palenberg Roman baths
• Rimburg Castle
• Ring wall complex in the Rimburg forest
• Nivelstein sand works
• Rode Castle
• Wurm Valley
• Adolf Mine Park