Burg Orsbach Castle: In the historic village center of the tranquil village of Orsbach, right next to the church, a massive, simply structured building made of light-colored quarry stone catches the eye: Orsbach Castle. It was built toward the end of the 14th century and used as a work and residential building for foresters. Whether the building was part of the watchtowers of the former Aachen Landgraben (Defense Trench) has not yet been scientifically determined. Orsbach’s exposed location supports this theory, while the tower’s central location in the village—away from the main road and the defense trench—speaks against it.
Vetschau Wind Farm: Northeast of Orsbach the eye is drawn to a cluster of impressive wind turbines. The turbines are up to 200 meters tall and their capacities range from 1.5 to 1.8 megawatts. The construction of the wind farm was preceded by an empirical study—the first of its kind in Germany at the time. The study calculated wind potential for the Aachen city area in order to identify the best possible location for the turbines. Vetschauer Berg is one of Aachen’s windiest regions, and this has led to the gradual expansion of wind power facilities since 1997.
Wayside Crosses: Along the route, but especially on the plateau, there are a large number of wayside crosses typical of the entire border region. The reasons for erecting such crosses were varied and can rarely be reconstructed with precision today. For example, there are pilgrim crosses, devotional crosses, and weather crosses which are intended to entrust the harvest to divine protection. In the past such crosses were often also stops or destinations during field processions.
Finkenhag Orchard: The German Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU) is revitalizing the cultural landscape along the Dutch border. It aims to preserve and restore relics of the historically developed cultural landscape in the Börde region—an area characterized by a lack of ecological diversity and intensive agricultural use. Hedges, orchards, pollarded trees, and small wooded areas are becoming characteristic landscape features and serve as habitats for many animal and plant species. One example of this nature restoration work is Finkenhag orchard. This former strip of farmland was planted in 2001 and 2007 with traditional fruit varieties, including Rote Sternrenette, Rheinischer Bohnapfel, Gräfin von Paris, and Aachener Hausapfel.
Remnant of the Landgraben: Just past the orchard on the left side of the route a small section of the Aachen Landwehr rampart was discovered in the dense underbrush. The trench and other parts of the rampart have been filled in.
Mamelis, Kloster St. Benedictusberg Monastery: A 10-minute detour across the Green Border leads to this architecturally interesting monastery. There are several prayer services daily featuring Gregorian chants.
Michaelshof Farm: Just outside Orsbach is the Michaelshof, whose owners have been committed to organic farming since 1995. The Zintzen family farms an impressive 29 hectares of fertile marl-clay soil here. The milk from their 30 black-and-white dairy cows is processed in the farm’s own cheese dairy. Cheese and other products, such as buttermilk and yogurt, are available for purchase in the farm store. The farm is part of Mergelwind e.V., a Euregional organic producers’ association. The association advocates for sustainable agriculture and food production in the Euregio Meuse-Rhine.
Mill Path Mamelis: This steep border path has been heavily eroded by water—Caution: it may be impassable depending on weather conditions! It is owned half by the city of Aachen and half by the municipality of Vaals. The path probably follows the course of the Land Defense Trench. The rampart has been reshaped by agricultural activities and is no longer visible today. At the green border with Mamelis you’ll come across another eagle stone, flanked by old horse chestnut trees and a wayside cross.
