Bahntrassen-Radweg Aachen - Jülich

Where trains once traveled fully loaded with coal from the former coal-mining sites of the Aachen mining district, cyclists can now ride comfortably and without any hills along the 32-kilometer-long railway-right-of-way bike path from the imperial city of Aachen to Jülich.

We start in the historic old town, right next to Aachen Cathedral. The hustle and bustle of the city and traffic quickly give way to a peaceful suburban idyll. At Europaplatz, surrounded by a highway on-ramp and an industrial area, we leave the hustle and bustle of the big city behind and enter a green oasis. Far from settlements and traffic, we follow the babbling Wurm River. Along the way, we pass Gut Kalkofen, one of the many stately estates in the rural outskirts of the city, whose roots date back to the Middle Ages. Beyond Würselen, the landscape becomes increasingly rural. The idyllic little village of Euchen, with its square farmsteads—some of which are up to 300 years old—creates a rural atmosphere. We continue cycling through the Börde landscape, characterized by fields and meadows, toward Jülich, accompanied by the imposing slag heaps created during the mining era. They stand as witnesses to the mining history of the former Aachen mining district and remind us of the closed coal mines that shaped the region for over a century. Today, many of the slag heaps are protected nature reserves due to their biodiversity and serve as refuges for endangered species. Along the route, we also regularly come across old train station buildings and scattered sets of tracks—silent witnesses to the glorious days of the railroad—reminding us that trains once traveled this route to transport coal, the miners from the coal-mining towns, and, more recently, increasingly, sugar beets. While in Jülich, be sure to visit the Renaissance-era citadel and the Brückenkopf Park, which dates back to the Napoleonic era.

Highlights along the route:

• Aachen’s historic old town/Aachen Cathedral
• Kalkofen Estate
• Former train station buildings (e.g., Mariadorf)
• Brückenkopf Park in Jülich
• Jülich Citadel