The State Palaces and Gardens of Baden-Württemberg, the heritage agency of Southwest Germany, reveals extraordinary stories when it opens the doors to Southwest Germany’s most historic and beautiful cultural monuments. Visitors from North America and around the world can truly dive into Baden-Wuerttemberg’s spectacular and storied history and culture that is preserved through these 63 castles, palaces, monasteries and gardens. Each place has unique stories that are appealing and engaging on many levels to adults, children and tweens.
Under the motto “Visit. Marvel. Enjoy,” you can discover the variety of palaces, gardens, castles, monasteries, all of which are important and historical gems. Some monuments captivate with their impressive history, while others introduce you to important figures. One of these places is the Maulbronn Monastery which was Southwest Germany’s first UNESCO site.
At Maulbronn Monastery, which is considered the best-preserved medieval monastery complex north of the Alps, for example, you can trace the history of the Cistercians at Maulbronn. Cistercians were a Roman Catholic monastic order founded in 1098 (11th century) in Cîteaux (Cistercium, Latin) near Dijon, France. All styles and stages of development, from Romanticism to Late Gothic, are represented at Maulbronn.
Architecture & Style through the Ages
The Cistercians began construction in the mid-12th century. The monastery church and cloister were originally built in the Romanesque style. At the beginning of the 13th century, the so-called Master of Paradise, an unknown master builder from France, introduced early Gothic forms from France with the construction of the church porch, the men’s refectory (communal eating hall), and the southern cloister wing. The fountain house (where they got their water), the lay refectory, and the hospital corridor also date from this period. The monks also expanded the monastery complex with numerous outbuildings in the western courtyard.
In the 14th and 15th centuries, the monastery complex underwent a late Gothic modernization. The church received large tracery windows, a lattice work pattern of rib vaults, and new murals. Abbot Albert von Ötisheim had the foundation chapels added and the hospital expanded. During this period, the monastery experienced a new prosperity.
The Dukes of Württemberg, who ruled Maulbronn in the 16th century, established a monastery school during the Reformation, which still exists today as a Protestant theological seminary. Johannes Kepler (a mathematician who came up with the laws of planetary motion), Friedrich Hölderlin (an influential Romantic poet and philosopher), and Hermann Hesse (a Nobel laureate and writer of Damian, Steppenwolf, The Glass Bead Game, Siddhartha), among others, spent part of their school years at Maulbronn.
In the 19th century, attention turned to the art and architecture of earlier eras and became trendy. Maulbronn, too, was marked by a romantic transfiguration and was declared a national architectural monument.Since 1993, the monastery has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Monks in the Kitchen: Culinary Inventions
Today, you can not only travel back in time, but also immerse yourself in the daily life of the Cistercian monks and learn about the order’s way of life and culinary habits.
The monks’ daily routine was strictly planned: meditation and prayer, hard work, and self-sufficiency were part of the daily routine. Meals were also clearly defined. In the summer months, there were two meals. On fasting days, Wednesdays and Fridays, there was only one each. In winter and during Lent before Easter, there was also only one meal.
One of the great stories about Maulbronn Monastery is that it is considered to be the birthplace of Maultaschen, the famous Swabian ravioli. Legend has it that in the 17th century towards the end of Lent, the lay brother Jakob came into possession of a piece of meat on his way home. Although eating meat was forbidden during Lent, Jakob could not bring himself to throw away his precious find. After much deliberation, an idea came to him while preparing the Maundy Thursday (just before Easter) meal. He chopped the meat into small pieces and mixed it with the vegetables. To hide it from God, however, he wrapped the mixture in pasta dough. This way, he could conceal the meat from the eyes of God and his fellow brothers and he served the meal as a Lenten dish.
Maulbronn pasta pockets were later shortened to “Maultaschen” (Maul pockets) and later developed into a popular Swabian dish – now available in various variations and popular far beyond the region.
Tips and tours for discovering Maulbronn Monastery: Monks & Maultaschen – Cultural & Culinary Diversity for Young and Old
The special tour “Maulbronn – Monks – Maultaschen,” which takes place several times a year, provides insights into the history of the monastery and the everyday lives of the monks. The invention of Maultaschen is presented, along with a tasting of regionally produced, vegetarian and non-vegetarian Maultaschen, served with a glass of wine. The tour rounds out the cultural and culinary experience. In addition, tours can be arranged for groups, either as standard or special tours, in English. Audio guides are available in German, English, French, Italian, Spanish, and Japanese.
There are various restaurants around the monastery where visitors can sample Maultaschen (ravioli). The Bruder Jacob beer garden, located right next to the monastery grounds, serves up delicious Maultaschen.
Highlight: Starting June 1, the new educational program for children and young people, “Psst…! Die Junge Klosterwelt World,” opens. Young visitors can experience the medieval world of the Cistercians up close with the help of interactive stations.
Special Tip: Explore Maulbronn Monastery with the free App „Monument BW“: The 75-minute multimedia adventure tour contains 24 stations with additional deep dives. Visitors can listen to background information about the history of the building, view pictures and films and learn all about the monastery and the life of the Cistercian monks. We recommend downloading the App and the tour before your arrival on site. After your visit, you can discover more of the region’s monuments in the app and plan your next trip, since you can find all the important information, such as opening hours, prices, directions and contacts, directly in the App.
For visitor information and special tours at Maulbronn: https://www.kloster-maulbronn.
For a link to download the App, Monument BW, https://www.kloster-maulbronn.
For the childen’s new educational programs: https://www.kloster-maulbronn.