First published: 28/04/10.

Els Slots 3.0

Maulbronn Monastery

Maulbronn Monastery (Inscribed)

Maulbronn Monastery by Els Slots

The monastery is located on the outskirts of the modern town of Maulbronn. The Cistercians choose this spot for its favourable agricultural conditions - not because of reasons of seclusion. It really is a "complex", behind its walls lies a large square with several public buildings, a mill, a bakery and the monastery of course.

I arrived already at 9.15 a.m. The people at the reception gave me a bewildered look, but sold me an entrance ticket for 6 EUR anyway. There were no other visitors yet. The only people around were about 20 regional craftsmen that were preparing their stalls for an Easter market.

So I wandered around alone in the monastery too. It was a dark and cold morning, which gave some extra gloom to the already austere surroundings. There's not a lot of frivolities to see inside apart from some faded frescoes. Most impressive are the large halls where the monks and the lay brothers (separately) used to dine.

What I liked most about this WHS was its intact surroundings. The timber-framed buildings on-site look very authentic, you just wait for the medieval fair to start. They now have modern use (as a restaurant, wedding chapel, museum, city hall). On the hill, the terraces and vineyards developed by the monks can still be seen.

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