The Elisengarten is a popular green space in the heart of Aachen's city center. Thousands of citizens spend time there throughout the year; it is a popular destination for tourists. The high level of use is reflected in the wear and tear on the area, which is why it has now been redesigned once again: New hedge elements, a plum-leaved hawthorn, have been installed above the Elisengarten on Ursulinerstraße; in February, the tree maintenance team had already planted a multi-stem hornbeam and a blood maple after two dead trees, a hornbeam and a blood maple, had to be felled. The flowerbed area along the steps was newly laid out and planted.

In a further step, the area around the fountain was changed. This was necessary because the original lawn area around the watering hole had continued to recede due to heavy use and erosion, for example by surface water. Numerous attempts to restore the area were unsuccessful due to the heavy use. "We are now improving the quality of the area with various repair measures," says Michael Blankenheim, Head of Urban Greenery and Districts at Aachen's municipal services.

He is part of the municipal operations team that, in consultation with the city's climate and environment department, has been planning the redesign of the Elisengarten with great precision over the past few months. "We are installing additional slabs around the fountain. The erosion created a difference in height between the lawn and the fountain area. We will compensate for this and then adjust the lawn," explains Blankenheim.

The circle around the fountain was extended to match the existing radius. The concrete slabs were supplemented by seating steps set in a semicircle. This creates an additional recreational area, similar to the existing steps in the Elisengarten. "We integrated the paths that have been created over the years so that the connection to the area is barrier-free," explains Michael Blankenheim.

The steel-reinforced panels used were manufactured to the centimetre using the plans. They weigh 500 kilograms each and are inserted using a vacuum lifter. Prior to this, the garden landscapers had already piled up eight tons of limestone gravel for the base layer. In combination with the levelling layer of laying chippings, subsidence is subsequently avoided so that the slabs remain permanently at the intended height.

The various work steps are almost complete after three weeks. The necessary follow-up work is carried out by the team of gardening and landscaping trainees from the municipal company: Before the approximately 50 square meters of turf, freshly peeled off in the morning, are laid, the edges of the lawn are cut straight and the turf base layer, a mixture of sand and humus, supplemented with lava or chippings, is laid. Finally, the water-bound path surface is laid before the newly installed areas are cleaned and approved.

Just in time for the Charlemagne Prize ceremony, one of Aachen's most popular parks is ready for the next summer season.