Maulbronn is what a medieval monastery looks like when nobody has knocked it down. Cistercian monks founded the abbey in the middle of the twelfth century, in a damp, wooded hollow of the Stromberg hills that no one else wanted, and the church, cloister, refectory, fountain house and encircling wall have survived to an extent that is rare north of the Alps. UNESCO listed it in 1993, calling it the most complete and best-preserved medieval monastic complex in Europe, and a walk through its courtyards shows why.
The church began as Romanesque and was finished in an early Gothic style, and the porch at the entrance, known as the Paradise, is an elegant piece of transitional architecture. The cloister and its fountain house, where the monks washed before meals, are among the finest of their kind, with vaults that spring from slender columns. Behind the walls stands a tower associated with the legend of Doctor Faust, the alchemist said to have worked here, and local lore has made the most of it.
For a rider, Maulbronn is a pleasant place to arrive. The approach roads climb through vineyards and woodland, with gentle bends and a good surface, and the town is small enough to feel intimate. Parking is available near the monastery, and you walk in through a gate in the old wall. The countryside around, the Stromberg-Heuchelberg nature park, is mild, green and unhurried, and it rewards a slow ride along the lanes between villages.
The town has about seven thousand people, with fuel, bakeries and a number of restaurants in half-timbered houses, and its wine, mostly red, is good. A Swabian lunch of Maultaschen or roast beef and onions on the square outside the abbey is a pleasure on a fine day. For larger shops and more petrol stations, the nearby towns of Mühlacker and Bretten are only a short ride away.
The visit takes a couple of hours, and the abbey is quietest in the morning or late afternoon. Spring and autumn are the best seasons, and in winter the interior can be cold, so wear something warm under your riding gear. The ride pairs the monastery with the nearby ponds and the quiet woods of the Ödenahlen.