A Bicycle Journey Through Time Loops

A bicycle shaped like a horizontal figure-eight—since last year, I’ve seen this symbol in various colors on bike route signs. However, I couldn’t find the corresponding routes by Googling them. The search engine’s AI response claimed it was the Aachen Loop. Source: this text. It sounded familiar—no wonder, since I had written it myself—and no, routes with infinity symbols don’t appear in it. I was finally freed from this vicious circle of ignorance by the Aachen City Region’s cycling route brochure: The seven time loops were created with support from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and invite you to explore new, thematic perspectives on the city region.

I’ll take you on the three time loops that are easiest to reach from Aachen. [Since not every turn is reliably signposted, it’s worth checking the routes on Outdooractive or Komoot (the links will take you to the Aachen City Region’s account) so you can verify whether you’re still on the right track if in doubt.]

- Judith C. Vogt

The Urban – The Blue-Gray Time Loop

Vor der Chorhalle des Aachener Doms ist vor einem grünen Baum ein Fahrrad abgestellt.
© Judith C. Vogt

🚴44 km, 4 hrs, 309 m elevation gain, hilly, mostly well-paved side roads

The Rothe Erde loop, marked in blue-gray, officially starts at the Rothe Erde train station, but you can join it almost anywhere in the eastern part of the city. It offers a lovely mix of green recreational areas and history between Aachen, Kornelimünster, and Stolberg.

The former Vennbahn railway line covers most of the elevation gain right at the start with a gentle climb. In Kornelimünster, the route takes a detour through the old town and then leads briefly uphill to the plateau of the hedgerow landscape of the Münsterland region. In Breinig, the historic town center with its blue stone houses actually tempts you to slow down, but the road, with its maze of parked cars and oncoming traffic, offers little opportunity to do so.

After that, the route takes you along dirt roads into the curious heathland of the Schlangenberg. Only a few plants brave the lead in the soil, which was already mined by the Celts and Romans—in the spring, these include the rare calamine violet, which grows only in the Aachen region!

The route continues into the rocky valley of the Vicht and through an industrial landscape with a slightly dystopian feel. In a striking contrast, however, the narrow valley soon opens up to Stolberg’s old town, with its castle towering above. As in Kornelimünster, the aftermath of the 2021 flood disaster is still evident here, but the downtown area is recovering with interesting shops and cafés.

The route climbs steeply once more to the Zinkhütter Hof Industrial Museum, then descends to the Inde River and from there winds leisurely through the Würselen Forest. Things get more urban starting at Verlautenheide, where the route follows the bike path—newly opened in April—under the new A544 bridge and along the Wurm River into the imperial city.

Tips for along the way:

☕ At the start of the tour, Café Cornelius beckons; at the end, you can rest your legs near the cathedral—for example, at Café Dom.

🏰If you still have energy for sightseeing after your bike ride, you can soak up ancient history at Stolberg Castle and more recent history at the Zinkhütter Hof Industrial Museum.

The Masterful One – The Orange-Yellow Time Loop

🚴27.2 km, 2:30 h, 217 m elevation gain, hilly, mostly well-paved side roads

The Kupfererbe loop, marked with orange-yellow signs, officially starts at Stolberg Central Station—the easiest way to get there by bike is to take the Euregiobahn. Since this is the shortest loop, however, it makes sense to cycle from Aachen via the Vennbahnweg, Deltourserb, and Buschmühle to the Inde River and join the loop there (this makes the tour about 15 km longer).

The route captivates with its now idyllic and varied landscapes, which, ironically, are testaments to European industrial culture. Starting with three former metal-working water mills in the Inde Valley, the route leads to the Tatternsteine near Brander Wald, where dwarf figures allude to mining myths. Just past Büsbach, all three tours described here briefly converge on the Münsterländchen plateau. In Breinig, the blue-gray loop branches off; the red route continues parallel to it until Venwegen, where the highest point of the tour is reached and the path descends gently through the forest until you rejoin the blue-gray route on the Schlangenberg. The route remains the same all the way into the copper town of Stolberg (see above). Where the blue-gray route then climbs up to the Zinkhütter Hof, the orange-yellow route stays in the valley and completes the loop at the Inde—where you can board the Euregiobahn again at the train station or cycle back toward downtown via Eilendorf from Münsterbusch.

Tips for your trip:

🧺Schlangenberg is the perfect spot to enjoy the view while picnicking under the pine trees—as long as you take care not to disturb the rare flora and fauna.

☕ Stolberg’s historic downtown, restored after the 2021 flood disaster, is well worth a visit! Breakfast and sweets are available at the friendly Café Eck, while hearty meals can be found at Bistro By George in the shadow of the castle.

The Connector – The Red Time Loop

🚴42 km, 3.5 hours, 343 m elevation gain, hilly, mostly well-paved side roads

The Liberation Time Loop, which officially begins in Roetgen, is marked in red. You can get there, for example, by taking the bike bus or by cycling from downtown along the Vennbahnweg to Kornelimünster and joining the tour there (however, this makes the total tour 24 km longer).

True to its theme, the route begins with a historical exhibition at the Pferdeweiher hiking station: On September 12, 1944, American soldiers marched in from Raeren, making Roetgen the first German municipality to be liberated during World War II. On the way to the Dreilägerbach Dam, the route passes the Westwall Bridge, which features information about the defense system—its partially overgrown concrete triangles are prominently visible in many places throughout the city region.

The tour then passes the drinking water reservoir, circles around Rott, and heads to Mulartshütte—the forest there is part of one of Germany’s largest contiguous forest areas! In Venwegen, the tour meets its orange-yellow sister route and leads through the Münsterland region to Kornelimünster, where it follows the Vennbahnweg in wide, gentle curves back up to Roetgen—the gateway to the Eifel.

Tips for along the way:

🍺Enjoy a wide selection of Belgian beers at the Raeren Station Café, located in old train cars.

🍕The Bahnhofsvision in Kornelimünster was once a train station, too. You can enjoy hearty food on the lawn and inside the station, which is packed with railway details, and ice cream from the Café Lammerskötter ice cream truck!