Valleys in this part of Swabia often have names that end in -tal, and the Hilsenbeuertal is one of them, a small wooded valley next to Maulbronn through which a stream runs down toward the town. The Lower Pond, as its name admits, has an upper sister further up the valley, and the two work as a pair. It lies only three hundred metres from the abbey, and it is close enough that you can see the church roof through the trees.
This was how the monks planned things: ponds placed one above another on a stream, each with a dam and a sluice, so that the flow could be controlled, the water cleaned and the fish harvested in order. Such a system needs constant maintenance, and keeping the dams sound would have been a regular chore. Water drove mills and filled fishponds, and it was part of the daily rhythm of work and prayer.
In the twelfth century the Cistercians founded Maulbronn, and its buildings are among the best-preserved medieval monastery complex north of the Alps, with a church, cloister, refectory and fortified walls all surviving. UNESCO listed the abbey in 1993, and the water system is part of the story. A walk along the stream is a good way to see the setting without the crowds.
Riding here is relaxed. The roads wind through woods and fields, with small climbs and descents, a smooth surface and light traffic. In spring the orchards bloom white and pink, in autumn the vineyards are red and gold, and the air smells of leaves and wine. It is not a ride for speed, but it is a pleasure for anyone who likes to look around.
With around seven thousand people, Maulbronn has everything a rider needs: fuel, food, a bakery and a place to sit with a coffee. The speciality of the region is Maultaschen, large pasta pockets filled with meat and spinach, which are served in broth or fried with egg, and they are a good meal after a morning in the damp air.
The ride that includes this pond ends at the Old Jewish Cemetery in Worms, so you pass from a Christian monastery to one of Europe's oldest Jewish burial grounds, which is a striking pairing.