Maulbronn

Maulbronn Monastery Complex
UNESCO-World Heritage since 1993

The former Cistercian Abbey is not just the most completely preserved monastery complex north of the Alps, but is also a perfect example of medieval architecture. Construction work began in 1147 and the church, a Romanesque basilica with three naves, was consecrated to Mary, Mother of God, in 1178.

The men‘s chancel features ornately decorated oak stalls. At the beginning of the 13th century, a triple-nave entrance hall (the Paradies) was added to the church, built in a transitional style between Romanesque and Gothic, which opens with wide double arches onto the courtyard.

The monastery courtyard is still ringed by the fortified wall and the towers, commercial buildings and living quarters built within, on and above the walls. In 1556, the abbey was converted into a Protestant monastery school whose alumni include Johannes Kepler, Hermann Hesse and Friedrich Hölderlin.

Route Suggestion
From Trier to Völklingen and Lorsch, via Speyer to Maulbronn