Roßweiher simply means horse pond, which sounds humble, but the pond is part of a much grander story. It belongs to the water system created by the Cistercian monks of Maulbronn, a network of lakes and canals that fed the monastery, turned its mill wheels and kept its fish stocks full. The pond lies a little over a kilometre and a half from the abbey, on the edge of the forest, where the ground starts to rise.
The monks picked this valley in the twelfth century because it had water and shelter, and because the Cistercians liked remote, workable places. They were great engineers, and the ponds, with their dams and sluices, show how they turned a muddy valley into a productive landscape. Today the shore is quiet and green, with willows and reeds, and the surface often holds a pair of swans or a scatter of coots.
The ride that uses this stop links it with a series of watchtowers on the Roman frontier, the Limes, whose posts were scattered across this part of Germany. That gives a nice contrast, since the Romans controlled the land by watching it, and the monks transformed it by working it. The roads between are rolling and wooded, with moderate traffic, good surface and easy curves, and the wine villages along the way invite a pause.
Maulbronn is a small town, about seven thousand people, but it has a petrol station, bakeries and restaurants, so there is no problem with the basics. Regional food is hearty, with Swabian specialities such as Maultaschen, onion roast beef and spaetzle, and the wine is mostly local. If you need larger shops or a wider choice of fuel, you will find them in Mühlacker or Bretten, a short ride away.
Come in spring or autumn if you can. The woods are at their best, the water is full, and the monastery is quieter than in high summer. A morning walk around the pond before the day's ride makes a fine start.