Small as it is, the Kleiner Reutteich is the smallest of the Maulbronn ponds on these rides, and at three kilometres from the monastery it sits well out in the woods. The pond has a quiet, secluded air, with trees reaching over the water and a soft, muddy margin. It belongs to the same water system as the other ponds, and like them it was created by the Cistercians in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, but its smaller size gives it a more private feel.
Few people come this far, so you are likely to have it to yourself. In spring the woods around it are full of birdsong, and in summer dragonflies patrol the surface. In autumn the leaves float on the surface, gold and brown, and the air smells of damp earth and mushrooms.
The ride that includes this pond goes on to the Roman fort site and civilian settlement at Welzheim, on the Limes, the frontier of the Roman Empire, so you pass from medieval monks to Roman soldiers. Welzheim lies to the east, in the Swabian-Franconian Forest, and it has a reconstructed fort gate and the remains of a bathhouse. The road between runs through woodland and farmland, with long easy bends and little traffic, and it makes a pleasant afternoon ride.
Near the pond, the roads are quiet lanes with good surface, and you may meet cyclists and walkers, so go slowly. The nearest services are in Maulbronn, with about seven thousand people, where you will find fuel, bakeries and restaurants, and the Swabian specialities of Maultaschen and spaetzle. A coffee and a slice of cake near the monastery is a good reward after a woodland walk.
Spring and autumn are the best seasons, and the morning is better than the afternoon, with softer light and fewer people. Wear shoes you do not mind getting muddy, because the path to the shore is not always dry.