The Bachtäler-Höhenroute begins in Zweifall, from where a connecting path offers the opportunity to reach both the copper town itself (13.5 km) and the Eifelsteig between Friesenrath and Rott (6.4 km) via the Stolberg Copper Route.

If you follow the route towards the Rureifel instead, you first walk along the Hasselbach and Gieschetbach streams and from there climb steadily uphill through the spruce forests of the Hürtgenwald. A few hundred meters after the pilgrims' memorial, you have your first opportunity to enjoy a clear view of the Aachen countryside. You pass the circular settlement of Raffelsbrand and the renaturalized Todtenbruch raised bog and finally reach Simonskall after a short, steep descent into Kalltal.

From Simonskall, the Bachtäler-Höhenroute runs through the Kalltal valley past an impressive geological rock saddle and then follows the beautiful Huschelbach valley up towards Schmidt. Here, too, there are impressive panoramic views of the Cologne Bay and the Eifel National Park with the Kermeter mountain range and the Rursee lake, to which you now descend through another stream valley in the direction of Eschauel. As soon as you reach lake level, the Bachtäler-Höhenroute leads uphill again to the Eifel viewpoint "Schöne Aussicht" on the Simonsley, where hikers can expect a breathtaking panorama in a southerly direction with views of the Rursee and the Kermeter. Passing another viewpoint, the trail descends again to the Rursee, along the banks of which you finally reach Schwammenauel.

Cross the dam wall to enter the Eifel National Park and walk along the lakeshore again before climbing up the Kermeter through the Hohenbachtal valley. On the "Hirschley", the counterpart of the southern shore of the Rursee to the "Schöne Aussicht" again offers an impressive view. Now the Kermeter is as good as "conquered" and from the "Black Cross" the Bachtäler-Höhenoute descends to the Urft dam wall and finally reaches the Eifelsteig after around 38 km.

The Bachtäler-Höhenroute can be easily hiked in 3 daily stages: from Zweifall to Simonskall (15.5 km), from Simonskall via Schwammenauel to Heimbach (17.6 km) and from Heimbach via Schwammenauel to the Urft dam wall (11.6 km). From there, in the summer months, you can take the Rursee boat trip via Rurberg to Schwammenauel and from there return to Heimbach on the Rurseebahn or on a one-hour hike along the reservoir.