How many moderate hikes are there near Aachen?

Our directory currently lists 60 matching routes near Aachen, each with distance, elevation gain and a mapped route line drawn from OpenStreetMap data.

What is the average length of these trails?

The average is 10.6 km with roughly 239 m (784 ft) of climbing. The longest on this list is 15.0 km.

Which is the best one to start with?

Eifeler Steilküste ranks highest here on our popularity score, which weighs route quality, scenery and how well documented it is.

Are these routes suitable for beginners?

Most routes on this list are rated moderate or harder. If you are just starting out, filter by easy difficulty or by distance under 5 km.

Moderate Hiking Trails near Aachen

60 routes near Aachen qualify, ranked below by how much walkers rate them. They average 10.6 km and 239 m (784 ft) of ascent.

That is 34 percent of the 176 routes we map near Aachen. They are shorter than the local average, 10.6 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, 239 m (784 ft) against 560 m (1,837 ft), so they suit a recovery day or a group with mixed fitness.

Moderate routes are the sweet spot for most regular walkers: enough climbing to feel like a proper day out, never enough to turn into an ordeal. These lean toward the demanding end, so plan for a full day and check the forecast before you commit. A good share of them are loops, so you can park once and finish where you started.

Moderate

Eifeler Steilküste

Nationalpark Eifel · North Rhine-Westphalia

Distance: 13.5 km
Elevation gain: 297 m
Typical duration: 3 hr 15 min

Coastal
Waymarked route

Moderate

National Park Trail Via Kolenspoor

Hoge Kempen National Park · Flanders

Distance: 10.8 km
Elevation gain: 238 m
Typical duration: 2 hr 37 min

Waymarked route

Moderate

National Park Trail Via Munsterbos

Hoge Kempen National Park · Flanders

Distance: 11.5 km
Elevation gain: 254 m
Typical duration: 2 hr 47 min

Waymarked route

Moderate

La Butte aux Bois Paarse trapezium

Hoge Kempen National Park · Flanders

Distance: 11.2 km
Elevation gain: 247 m
Typical duration: 2 hr 42 min

Forest
Waymarked route

Moderate

Mechels Bos Paarse trapezium

Hoge Kempen National Park · Flanders

Distance: 8.6 km
Elevation gain: 188 m
Typical duration: 2 hr 4 min

Forest
Waymarked route

Moderate

Bergerven Blauwe ruit

Hoge Kempen National Park · Flanders

Distance: 7.0 km
Elevation gain: 154 m
Typical duration: 1 hr 41 min

Waymarked route

Moderate

Bergerven Gele zeshoek

Hoge Kempen National Park · Flanders

Distance: 14.7 km
Elevation gain: 324 m
Typical duration: 3 hr 33 min

Waymarked route

Moderate

Bergerven Oranje bol

Hoge Kempen National Park · Flanders

Distance: 10.2 km
Elevation gain: 223 m
Typical duration: 2 hr 27 min

Waymarked route

Moderate

Bergerven Paarse trapezium

Hoge Kempen National Park · Flanders

Distance: 13.0 km
Elevation gain: 286 m
Typical duration: 3 hr 8 min

Waymarked route

Moderate

Bergerven Rode driehoek

Hoge Kempen National Park · Flanders

Distance: 9.0 km
Elevation gain: 198 m
Typical duration: 2 hr 11 min

Waymarked route

Moderate

Bessemer Blauwe ruit

Hoge Kempen National Park · Flanders

Distance: 6.8 km
Elevation gain: 150 m
Typical duration: 1 hr 39 min

Waymarked route

Moderate

Bessemer Gele zeshoek

Hoge Kempen National Park · Flanders

Distance: 12.6 km
Elevation gain: 278 m
Typical duration: 3 hr 3 min

Waymarked route

Moderate

Donderslag Blauwe ruit

Hoge Kempen National Park · Flanders

Distance: 8.6 km
Elevation gain: 188 m
Typical duration: 2 hr 4 min

Waymarked route

Moderate

Donderslag Gele zeshoek

Hoge Kempen National Park · Flanders

Distance: 10.1 km
Elevation gain: 223 m
Typical duration: 2 hr 27 min

Waymarked route

Moderate

Donderslag Rode driehoek

Hoge Kempen National Park · Flanders

Distance: 14.1 km
Elevation gain: 310 m
Typical duration: 3 hr 24 min

Waymarked route

Moderate

Dorfrundgang Erkensruhr

Nationalpark Eifel · North Rhine-Westphalia

Distance: 6.9 km
Elevation gain: 151 m
Typical duration: 1 hr 39 min

Waymarked route

Moderate

Einruhr - Sauermühle

Nationalpark Eifel · North Rhine-Westphalia

Distance: 8.4 km
Elevation gain: 184 m
Typical duration: 2 hr 1 min

Waymarked route

Moderate

Heiderbos - Roexeinde Blauwe ruit

Hoge Kempen National Park · Flanders

Distance: 7.7 km
Elevation gain: 169 m
Typical duration: 1 hr 51 min

Waymarked route

Moderate

Mechelse Heide Rode driehoek

Hoge Kempen National Park · Flanders

Distance: 7.3 km
Elevation gain: 160 m
Typical duration: 1 hr 46 min

Waymarked route

Moderate

Oudsberg Blauwe ruit

Hoge Kempen National Park · Flanders

Distance: 7.0 km
Elevation gain: 155 m
Typical duration: 1 hr 42 min

Waymarked route

Moderate

Oudsberg Gele zeshoek

Hoge Kempen National Park · Flanders

Distance: 10.3 km
Elevation gain: 227 m
Typical duration: 2 hr 29 min

Waymarked route

Moderate

Oudsberg Rode driehoek

Hoge Kempen National Park · Flanders

Distance: 8.7 km
Elevation gain: 192 m
Typical duration: 2 hr 6 min

Waymarked route

Moderate

Pietersheim Rode driehoek

Hoge Kempen National Park · Flanders

Distance: 11.6 km
Elevation gain: 255 m
Typical duration: 2 hr 48 min

Waymarked route

Moderate

Roelen Blauwe ruit

Hoge Kempen National Park · Flanders

Distance: 8.4 km
Elevation gain: 184 m
Typical duration: 2 hr 1 min

Waymarked route

Moderate

Roelen Gele zeshoek

Hoge Kempen National Park · Flanders

Distance: 10.4 km
Elevation gain: 230 m
Typical duration: 2 hr 31 min

Waymarked route

Moderate

Solterheide Blauwe ruit

Hoge Kempen National Park · Flanders

Distance: 10.7 km
Elevation gain: 235 m
Typical duration: 2 hr 35 min

Waymarked route

Moderate

Solterheide Gele zeshoek

Hoge Kempen National Park · Flanders

Distance: 12.5 km
Elevation gain: 274 m
Typical duration: 3 hr 1 min

Waymarked route

Moderate

Terhills Dilserbos Geel

Hoge Kempen National Park · Flanders

Distance: 14.1 km
Elevation gain: 311 m
Typical duration: 3 hr 24 min

Waymarked route

Moderate

Terhills Dilserbos Rood

Hoge Kempen National Park · Flanders

Distance: 10.1 km
Elevation gain: 223 m
Typical duration: 2 hr 27 min

Waymarked route

Moderate

Terhills Geel

Hoge Kempen National Park · Flanders

Distance: 13.9 km
Elevation gain: 306 m
Typical duration: 3 hr 21 min

Waymarked route

Moderate

Terhills Rode driehoek

Hoge Kempen National Park · Flanders

Distance: 9.4 km
Elevation gain: 208 m
Typical duration: 2 hr 17 min

Waymarked route

Moderate

Thorpark - De Kolonie Rode driehoek

Hoge Kempen National Park · Flanders

Distance: 12.7 km
Elevation gain: 280 m
Typical duration: 3 hr 4 min

Waymarked route

Moderate

Thorpark Blauwe ruit

Hoge Kempen National Park · Flanders

Distance: 7.8 km
Elevation gain: 172 m
Typical duration: 1 hr 53 min

Waymarked route

Moderate

Wanderweg T2 ( Heimbach)

Nationalpark Eifel · North Rhine-Westphalia

Distance: 12.8 km
Elevation gain: 281 m
Typical duration: 3 hr 5 min

Waymarked route

Moderate

GR 56 Liaison Bayehon

Wallonia · Belgium

Distance: 11.5 km
Elevation gain: 479 m
Typical duration: 3 hr 7 min

Castle and ruins
Waymarked route
Long-distance path

Moderate

GR 412 Boucle 2 Les Coteaux

Wallonia · Belgium

Distance: 9.7 km
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
Elevation gain: 252 m
Typical duration: 2 hr 46 min

Forest
Waymarked route
Long-distance path

Moderate

GR 128 Variant Tongeren

Flanders · Belgium

Distance: 12.9 km
Elevation gain: 283 m
Typical duration: 3 hr 6 min

Waymarked route
Long-distance path

Moderate

GR 15 Liaison entre le GR 15 et le GRP 571

Wallonia · Belgium

Distance: 8.8 km
Elevation gain: 193 m
Typical duration: 2 hr 7 min

Waymarked route
Long-distance path

Moderate

GR 15 Liaison vers GRP 571

Wallonia · Belgium

Distance: 8.9 km
Elevation gain: 195 m
Typical duration: 2 hr 9 min

Waymarked route
Long-distance path

Moderate

GR 412 Liaison GR 573 et gare d'Angleur

Wallonia · Belgium

Distance: 9.4 km
Elevation gain: 207 m
Typical duration: 2 hr 17 min

Waymarked route
Long-distance path

Moderate

GR 5 Liaison GR 576

Wallonia · Belgium

Distance: 9.6 km
Elevation gain: 212 m
Typical duration: 2 hr 19 min

Waymarked route
Long-distance path

Moderate

GR 5 Liaison GRP 573 - GRP 576

Wallonia · Belgium

Distance: 7.3 km
Elevation gain: 160 m
Typical duration: 1 hr 45 min

Waymarked route
Long-distance path

Moderate

GR 56 Liaison Gare Aix-la-Chapelle

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance: 7.8 km
Elevation gain: 276 m
Typical duration: 2 hr 2 min

Waymarked route
Long-distance path

Moderate

GR 57 Liaison Barchon

Wallonia · Belgium

Distance: 14.4 km
Elevation gain: 316 m
Typical duration: 3 hr 28 min

Waymarked route
Long-distance path

Moderate

GR 576 Liaison GR 5

Wallonia · Belgium

Distance: 9.6 km
Elevation gain: 212 m
Typical duration: 2 hr 19 min

Waymarked route
Long-distance path

Moderate

ThemenTour 1 (T1)

Nationalpark Eifel · North Rhine-Westphalia

Distance: 11.8 km
Elevation gain: 260 m
Typical duration: 2 hr 51 min

Waymarked route

Moderate

ThemenTour 1 - Abkürzung (T1)

Nationalpark Eifel · North Rhine-Westphalia

Distance: 10.1 km
Elevation gain: 222 m
Typical duration: 2 hr 26 min

Waymarked route

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
Route	Distance	Ascent	Time	Difficulty	Best season
Eifeler SteilküsteNationalpark Eifel	13.5 km	297 m	3 hr 15 min	Moderate	April to October
National Park Trail Via KolenspoorHoge Kempen National Park	10.8 km	238 m	2 hr 37 min	Moderate	April to October
National Park Trail Via MunsterbosHoge Kempen National Park	11.5 km	254 m	2 hr 47 min	Moderate	April to October
La Butte aux Bois Paarse trapeziumHoge Kempen National Park	11.2 km	247 m	2 hr 42 min	Moderate	April to October
Mechels Bos Paarse trapeziumHoge Kempen National Park	8.6 km	188 m	2 hr 4 min	Moderate	April to October
Bergerven Blauwe ruitHoge Kempen National Park	7.0 km	154 m	1 hr 41 min	Moderate	April to October
Bergerven Gele zeshoekHoge Kempen National Park	14.7 km	324 m	3 hr 33 min	Moderate	April to October
Bergerven Oranje bolHoge Kempen National Park	10.2 km	223 m	2 hr 27 min	Moderate	April to October
Bergerven Paarse trapeziumHoge Kempen National Park	13.0 km	286 m	3 hr 8 min	Moderate	April to October
Bergerven Rode driehoekHoge Kempen National Park	9.0 km	198 m	2 hr 11 min	Moderate	April to October

If you only have time for one, start with Eifeler Steilküste, National Park Trail Via Kolenspoor, National Park Trail Via Munsterbos. 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

Related guides

Other shortlists covering the same area or the same kind of terrain.

Trails

The shortlist, side by side

Frequently asked questions

How many moderate hikes are there near Aachen?

What is the average length of these trails?

Which is the best one to start with?

Are these routes suitable for beginners?

Related guides

People also search for