In the early morning I park my car in downtown Aachen and take the bus back to my starting point, in the city of Geilenkirchen.

The first part of this stage is not exciting, as it goes straight through some forrests. It brings me to the edge of the valley Aachener Kessel, which gives a nice view over the city of Aachen. The Trail continous to go through the industrial and residential area of the city, which are no fun to walk. Leaving the city on the south side of town, the Trail bumps into the first hillsides of the Eifel hills. There are nice views in the opposit direction, overlooking Aachen and the lowlands behind it. The next stages promise to be very worthwhile, as they will lead through the Eifel hills, which a personal favorite of mine. By the time I arrive in the village of Mulartshütte I have the option to go back by bus to Aachen (it goes only twice per day), or continue to walk to the village of Simonskall and hope that there is any bus that can take me from there.

The choice is not very hard to make, and I call it a day. I go back home, statiesfied and already looking forward to the next stages.

Deutsche Gründlichkeit: making sure you see the white & red signs!