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Best Forest Hikes near Aachen

We track 11 routes that match this search near Aachen. They average 11.0 km and 241 m (791 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 56.0 km.

That is 6 percent of the 176 routes we map near Aachen. They are shorter than the local average, 11.0 km against 26.0 km, which is what makes this a practical shortlist for a half day. They also climb less than the area average, 241 m (791 ft) against 560 m (1,837 ft), so they suit a recovery day or a group with mixed fitness.

Forest trails are the dependable choice: shade when it is hot, shelter when it is not, and a completely different character once the leaves turn. The mix is broad: 6 are rated easy and 1 are hard or harder, so there is something here whether you have two hours or a full day. A good share of them are loops, so you can park once and finish where you started.

Trails

Easy

Mechels Bos Oranje bol

Hoge Kempen National Park · Flanders

Distance
5.6 km
/ 3.5 mi
Elevation gain
123 m
Typical duration
1 hr 21 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Mechels Bos Paarse trapezium

Hoge Kempen National Park · Flanders

Distance
8.6 km
/ 5.3 mi
Elevation gain
188 m
Typical duration
2 hr 4 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Mechels Bos aanlooproute

Hoge Kempen National Park · Flanders

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
12 m
Typical duration
8 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Mechels bos Groene rechthoek

Hoge Kempen National Park · Flanders

Distance
3.7 km
/ 2.3 mi
Elevation gain
82 m
Typical duration
54 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

GR 412 Boucle 2 Les Coteaux

Wallonia · Belgium

Distance
9.7 km
/ 6.0 mi
Elevation gain
213 m
Typical duration
2 hr 20 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Moderate

GR 412 Boucle 3 Hasard-Bas Bois

Wallonia · Belgium

Distance
11.4 km
/ 7.1 mi
Elevation gain
252 m
Typical duration
2 hr 46 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Wald-Wasser-Wildnis-Weg

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
56.0 km
/ 34.8 mi
Elevation gain
1,233 m
Typical duration
14 hr
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Naturlehrpfad Meroder Wald

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
2.8 km
/ 1.7 mi
Elevation gain
62 m
Typical duration
41 min
  • Lake
  • Forest
  • Wildlife watching

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
La Butte aux Bois Groene rechthoekHoge Kempen National Park5.3 km118 m1 hr 17 minEasyApril to October
La Butte aux Bois Paarse trapeziumHoge Kempen National Park11.2 km247 m2 hr 42 minModerateApril to October
Mechels Bos Oranje bolHoge Kempen National Park5.6 km123 m1 hr 21 minEasyApril to October
Mechels Bos Paarse trapeziumHoge Kempen National Park8.6 km188 m2 hr 4 minModerateApril to October
Mechels Bos aanlooprouteHoge Kempen National Park0.5 km12 m8 minEasyApril to October
Mechels bos Groene rechthoekHoge Kempen National Park3.7 km82 m54 minEasyApril to October
GR 412 Boucle 2 Les CoteauxWallonia9.7 km213 m2 hr 20 minModerateApril to October
GR 412 Boucle 3 Hasard-Bas BoisWallonia11.4 km252 m2 hr 46 minModerateApril to October
Wald-Wasser-Wildnis-WegNorth Rhine-Westphalia56.0 km1,233 m14 hrExpertApril to October
7. La réserve naturelle Sous les RochesWallonia5.7 km126 m1 hr 23 minEasyApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with Mechels Bos Paarse trapezium, Mechels Bos Oranje bol, Mechels bos Groene rechthoek. Those are the routes people come back to. Every route on this page links through to a full guide with the map, elevation profile, seasonal advice and what to bring.

Frequently asked questions

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