Kettenis-Aachen 23 km - back by bus

This varied hike takes you from the bus stop in Kettenis to the center of Aachen, where you can take a direct bus back from Aachen Elisenbrunnen to the starting point (buses go once an hour on a Sunday, and take a bit more than 35 minutes). The hike takes you through pasture, forests, an old stone quarry, stations of the cross, along and across rivers and streams, through villages, parks and the center of Aachen with its world heritage Dom cathedral. I ended up at the Aachener Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas market) which yearly takes place during the four weeks before Christmas. The Christmas market (in season) is on the Münsterplatz, Markt and Katschhof. Parking near the bus stop in Kettenis just across the road is free. You will find something to eat and drink mainly in the center of Aachen, and a few places on the outskirts of Aachen. Most of this hike is through quiet countryside and forests, and you have only about 3 km of city streets and 1 km of city parks before you get to the Dom. Waterproof hiking shoes were needed during my trip, and are recommended. The walk through Belgium is entirely within the German-language community.
From the bus stop you have a view of the Libermé castle. You walk a bit in that direction and then take a path through pasture to the Waldenburghaus. You follow a minor asphalt road past Philippenhaus, another small castle, and get to a St. Brigida chapel. You follow another minor road and then take another path through pasture to an old stone quarry. You follow a path a bit through the quarry with a view of the lake, rocks with different colors, and some art work. You then follow paths to Walhorn past other art work. In Walhorn you make a round around the church and then walk along the road towards Raeren. After a short while you take another path and then a minor path through pasture and turn styles. You get to an area with crosses, chapels and a stations of the cross. From there you take a path through the forest to a tunnel beneath the motorway and then continue through the forest towards Hauset. In Hauset you descend towards the Göhl/Geul/Gueulle river, and follow the young river on a road and then a path. The path takes you to the Kupfermuhle where you cross the Göhl. Through pasture and past Gut Weide you head towards the Brennhaag forest. Through the forest and past an old stone quarry you head towards the hamlet Schampelheide on the edge of the forest. You continue towards the German border and cross it into the Aachener Wald. Shortly after you take a minor path up through the forest to a forest road heading towards the Klausberg. You pass by several tumuli (Hügelgrabe) on the way, one of them marked with a sign. You continue on wide forest roads, partly paved to the highest point of the hike, the Steineknipp at 358 meters. There is not much of a view due to the forest. You then descend quite steeply on a short mountainbike path to the Osterweg, and then take a path down to the Wolfsschlucht valley, along which you descend towards the edge of Aachen. You get to a road and continue to the reservoir Diepenbenden. From here you ascend along a road to another forest and then follow the road through forest on the edge of Aachen to the Luxemburger Ring. You walk around the youth hostel and then get to the Paubach valley and the Tritonenbrunnen. The Paubach is in a small elongated park which takes you to the larger Kaiser-Friedrich Park, with a small lake (Hangeweiher). You then continue to the Nelson Mandela park which you traverse to the Goethestrasse. You then follow several roads through the city to the Marschiertor, an old city tower. From here you continue towards the center of Aachen. You make a small detour to the Prinzenhof with the St. Michael church and then get to the Münsterplatz just before the Domhof where you will find the Aachener Dom. You can have a short (or longer guided) look inside this world heritage site. I went into the entrance of the Domschatzkammer, and had a look in the cloister with the Paradiesbrunnen in the center. I then went on to the Katschhof square, the Markt with the Rathaus, and then via Hof and the St. Foillan church back to the Münsterplatz. You enter the Elisengarten past the fountain Kreislauf des Geldes. On the other side of the garden are the Elisenbrunnen with sulphur smelling water. Here you also find the bus stop Elisenbrunnen. The bus to Kettenis (direction Eupen Bushof) departs from the H.3 the bus stop (line 14 of the Wallonian bus company TEC).