The Hombusch (Mechernich Forest) is worth seeing and experiencing right at the start of the third stage of the Roman Canal Trail from Mechernich to Euskirchen-Kreuzweingarten. On the one hand, it is the biodiversity of the forest , and on the other hand, the change that can be seen particularly well here in terms of the use of the Roman water pipeline. After the abandonment of the aqueduct and the end of the Roman period in the Rhineland, the structure served as a source of building materials, especially in the High Middle Ages. Stones were removed and used to build numerous castles, monasteries and churches. So you can be pretty sure that you will very often come across stones from the former Roman canal in these buildings in the Rhineland. In this area, the trenches created by the breaking of the stones can still be clearly seen.

The Roman Canal Hiking Trail leads over 116 kilometers in seven stages from Nettersheim to Cologne, following the old Roman water pipeline. All stages can be found in the overview of the Roman Canal Hiking Trail.