Three-Country Point: Because the borders of three countries meet here, this location has become a tourist attraction, drawing more than 800,000 visitors from around the world each year. Vaalserberg, where it is located, is the highest point in the Netherlands, at 322.5 meters above sea level.
Today the Three-Country Point also symbolizes the connections between the residents of the tri-border region, and European integration.
Geusenweg: This path leads from the turret, across the Maladengraben toward Moresneter Weg. It is part of the hidden “Kirchweg” (Church Path) used by protestants to walk from Eupen to Vaals for church services. Protestants here were persecuted and derided as “Geusen” during the Catholic Spanish rule in the 16th and 17th centuries.
A nearly hidden, sunken path connecting Geusenweg and Reinartzkehl was known after World War II as “Kaffeegasse” (Coffee Path) because it served as a well concealed escape route for smugglers.
Sunken paths: Throughout the border region and also along the Landgraben Route, one repeatedly comes across spectacular sunken paths that have carved their way into the surrounding terrain to a depth of several meters. These gullies were formed by continuous use as pathways by carts, freight traffic and cattle drives The heavy traffic created ruts in the ground, which were gradually eroded further by rain over time. In the Aachen region these paths are also called “Grachten.” They were, in other words, the highways of the Middle Ages. The stagecoach route from Aachen to Liège ran along the Three-Country path and its extension into Belgium. When Lütticher Straße was constructed around 1750, this once-busy route fell into disuse.
Beeck Tower: Located on the Three-Country path, the Beeck Tower is one of eight former watchtowers of the Aachen Empire. It is a 15th-century defensive structure consisting of a rubble-stone base with a half-timbered top structure. The watchtowers served defensive purposes, as well as providing agricultural and forestry policing functions. All were positioned along the Inner Defense Trench in such a way that it was possible to send messages via smoke signals to the “Langer Turm” (Long Tower) in the city center.
„Türmchen“ Orchard: The German Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU) promotes the preservation of the cultural landscape along the German-Dutch border. One example of this work is the orchard on the Three-Country path. It has been there since around 1930 and was extended in the late 1980s, then further in 2001 and 2007, through extensive replanting of old local varieties. Since 2025 the orchard has not been fertilized, allowing a nutrient-poor vegetation rich in flowers and insects to develop. Covering 5.6 hectares, it is the largest orchard in Aachen. The structurally diverse field hedges in the surrounding area also provide a habitat for the Eurasian nuthatch, European green woodpecker, Eurasian great spotted woodpecker, Eurasian pygmy owl, Eurasian tree sparrow, and Eurasian pied flycatcher.
Gut Reinartzkehl Estate: During the feudal era estates were often held as fiefs, whereby the owner, as the feudal lord, granted his vassal the right to use the land. In return, the feudal lord received payment in the form of money or goods. The feudal lord and the vassal swore a feudal oath. The Reinartzkehl estate belonged to the provost’s Mannkammer of the Aachen Marienstift (today: Aachen Cathedral). The estate’s name refers to its location in a hollow (“Kehle”). Today Reinartzkehl is home to a riding school. Here you can take a picnic break, curtesy of the self-service vending machine.
Inner Defense Trench: A particularly beautiful section of the Inner Defense Trench can be seen north of the Friedrich Forest: the beech trees here, which are over 200 years old, have developed especially bizarre shapes. The Inner Defense Trench consisted of a double rampart with a moat just wide enough for two horsemen. This is still very clearly visible today.
