The best of three countries – road cycling around Aachen

The lap to Teuven is one of my absolute favorite after-work laps. It is relatively short, but should not be underestimated due to the many climbs. The turning point is in the small village of Teuven in Belgium. This is a Flemish exclave surrounded by French-speaking Wallonia and right on the border with… read more

The Blausteinsee is a classic quarry pond with a kiosk, bathing area, sunbathing area and a small beach. Here, on warm summer days, with the scent of sunscreen and fries, there is a wonderful outdoor pool atmosphere. So pack your swimming trunks. In the past, the "open-pit mine of the future" raged here… read more

The small town of Rimburg is located in the Wurmtal, which north of Aachen forms the border between the Netherlands and Germany over long distances. On both sides of the border you can ride a racing bike. This tour crosses borders and shows you how well the two countries have grown together. In Rimburg… read more

Eupen is the capital of the German-speaking community within East Belgium. German is officially the first official language here. The town worth seeing is located on the edge of the Hohes Venn-Eifel nature park. On this tour you will get to know not only the place itself, but also the German-Belgian… read more

This loop takes you along some of the most beautiful roads in the southernmost tip of the Netherlands, along the Belgian border. The hilly profile will show you that the Netherlands is not flat everywhere. The first climb after Vaals is the legendary Camerig. The views from this ridge across to Belgium… read more

This tour takes you to the middle of the old town of Maastricht, where you will find a variety of nice cafes and restaurants. You quickly leave Aachen behind and dive into the Dutch Mergelland. Here you are almost exclusively on car-free cycle paths. Behind Vaals it goes a long way slightly downhill… read more

The Amstel Gold Race is one of the spring classics on the road pros' calendar. It criss-crosses the Heuvelland and takes pretty much every hill in this area with it. Although there are no high mountains here, the Amstel Gold Race is considered one of the toughest races ever. The ascents - here called… read more

Green hills, quiet country roads and rural, small villages characterize the Herver Land in the north of the Belgian province of Liège. In contrast to the neighboring Dutch Heuvelland, this area has only been developed to a very limited extent for tourism. Accordingly, there is little traffic here, which… read more

If you want to ride a flat circuit around Aachen, you have to go north. The area between Rur and Wurm is characterized by wide fields, many wind turbines, historic moated castles and low-traffic roads and paths on which you can ride racing bikes excellently and largely undisturbed. On this lap I have… read more

The mysterious forests of the Belgian Ardennes not only hide memorials and remnants of the Second World War, but also some notorious climbs, which are mainly known from the classic Liège-Bastogne-Liège road. Lovers of inexorably steep roads will find a true paradise here, because there are plenty of… read more

On the other side of the Maas lies the Hoge Kempen National Park in Belgian Limburg. This huge area is characterized by heathland, sand dunes and pine forests. It is the only national park in Belgium so far. The park is not only a popular destination for mountain bikers and hikers, because there are… read more

Haspengouw is a sparsely populated region in Belgian Limburg, which is mainly characterized by fruit growing. The roads are not all in the best condition, but on a sunny day there is hardly a nicer area for a road bike without being disturbed. The Café Coureur is also a real insider tip for cyclists… read more

If you're in the mood for long, steady climbs and winding descents, you're in good hands in the Rureifel. The valleys of Rur and Kall have dug themselves deep here. On the roads around the Rursee, there is an almost alpine feeling due to the many serpentines. The climbs are rarely particularly steep… read more

The High Fens is a unique landscape in the border area between Belgium and Germany. A huge high moor has formed at the transition from the Ardennes to the Eifel. The barren and extremely sparsely populated area has its very special, idiosyncratic charm. At 694 meters above sea level, the Signal de Botrange… read more

This tour takes you to the medieval gem of Bad Münstereifel. The place with the historic town center worth seeing is surrounded by forests and hills. However, you have to earn the cake break in the beautiful old town with a few meters of altitude, because, like everywhere in the Eifel, the slopes are… read more

If you would like to do an extended lap without many climbs on roads with as little traffic as possible, then I recommend this lap through the Selfkant. This rural region is located in the westernmost tip of Germany. At Tüddern you even officially reach the westernmost point of the Federal Republic… read more

Coal mining left clear traces between Aachen and Cologne. Entire villages have been excavated and much of the landscape has disappeared. Today this stretch of land is mainly characterized by windmills, fields and the chimneys of power plants. Untouched nature can no longer be found here. And yet the… read more

The queen stage of this collection is only for the very well trained. In addition to the distance of more than 200 kilometers, there are numerous steep climbs. If you are looking for a really hard training session, you will definitely find it here. The crowning glory is certainly the incredibly steep… read more