The Meander Tour

On the trail of the Beverbach, we admire its winding course from an elevated position at the edge of the valley, and up close from one of its little bridges. At the bottom of the old forests, it flows freely in its natural state, forming loop after loop to its heart's content. Despite its many curves, since the 11th century it has provided enough reference points to mark the eastern border of the independent abbey of Burtscheid. We hike through old forests along the Beverbach at the border of the former monastery territory, which extended west beyond Monschauer Strasse to Elleterweg, south to the source of the Beverbach, and north to the center around the Burtscheid monastery, including the still undeveloped Frankenberger quarter.

Seamlessly, we enter the Augustinian Forest and enter the Jülich Duchy with the former Schönforst office. Then we leave the forest and cross over open meadows (be cautious, keep a distance from the grazing cattle!) and encounter existing and centuries-old boundaries. From the 14th century, a so-called Landgraben encircled the city of Aachen for 70 kilometers, securing the forests and meadows of the rural areas outside the city walls from attacks. Along our path, remnants of the earth wall with its ditch and the now mighty, gnarled beech trees of the former protective hedge can be discovered.

Hidden in the forest rest the Cyclopean Stones. A mystical place surrounded by various tales. Although there were no giants here, but wind and weather worked to shape the Aachen sandstone into rounded boulders, they are impressive nonetheless and offer a peaceful forest break near the cafes at the Köpfchen border crossing. We gently descend back through the forests of the old monastery territory along the Augustinerweg.

Highlights along the route:
Beverbach Meanders
Landgraben
Cyclopean Stones
Köpfchen Border Crossing