Legend says that sometime in the Middle Ages a bunch of monks followed a donkey out into the Black Forest; and built a monastery on the very spot where the animal stopped. Today, it is known as the Kloster Maulbronn, or the Maulbronn Abbey.

But, this isn’t about just the UNESCO site. No, this is about the town of Maulbronn itself. All right, you caught me — maybe some of this is about one of the best preserved medieval monasteries in Germany.

Where exactly is Maulbronn?

If I said along the Northern Black Forest Monasteries Route and the Württemberg Wine Road, just skirting the German Framework Road, would that help? No? OK, how about in Baden-Württemberg within the wonderful Kraichgau?

Good, so long as we all know where we are. ;-)

I would be lying if I said that the monastery doesn’t dominate much of the sightseeing around here. How could it not? I mean, besides having said to be where Swabian Ravioli was invented — it has a stunning church and a Paradise (a vestibule type area) that’s a medieval wonder, and half-timbered buildings for its Mill, Bakery, and Guardhouse.

From May to December the Maulbronn Abbey holds a series of concerts — and a venue this pretty doesn’t come along every day, ya know. Just don’t go confusing these with Maulbronn’s Outdoor Theater that holds different types of performances throughout the summer.

The vineyards surrounding the monastery are just as famous as the buildings themselves; adding even more color to the surrounding countryside. Go ahead, take a look — there are some 29 cycling routes though the region. There are a number of walking paths as well, ranging from a mere 2km to 8km with names like the Klosterweinweg and Klosterseenweg.

Only slightly less in number than the town’s marked trails are Maulbronn’s festivals. If I miss any, I apologize. Let’s see if I can get them all in with one breath…

Here goes (deep breath): There’s the May Day on May 1st, both the Johannesfest and Horse Festival are in June, the Steinbruchfest and Summer Festival in July, the Herbstfest and Erntemarkt in September, as well as the Bakery & Wine Festival. October shuffles in with its own Swabian Oktoberfest, and the year ends with Maulbronn’s Christmas Market.

Let me check to see if I missed something… ;-)

Drats, I left one out: The Medieval Fair that’s held every April at the Maulbronn Abbey.

Need a rest? Go to the Tiefer See, a swimming lake where you can also try rowing or go boating. The Land-lubber in you might prefer to see the Museum on the Schafhof, a history museum of sort that used to be a sheep barn at one time. And the Dorfmuseum (set in a half-timbered building from 1568) has all kinds of photographs and exhibits on what life used to look like around here.

Who knew a jackass could lead you to such a wonderful place?

The old saying goes, you can tell a lot about a person by their friends. I say, you can tell a lot about a town by its neighbors. Take Cappeln in Lower Saxony, for instance. It borders Cloppenburg and is close to Oldenburg.

Good company, I’d say.

The first thing you should do is take a guided tour of the Church of Sts. Peter & Paul. How else can you appreciate its stained glass, its Baroque art, and its 800-year old baptismal font?

Guided tours are also available at the St. Mary Church in the village of Sevelten. It’s a lot to take in on your own — considering the church is almost 900 years old.

That’s much older than the St. Francis of Assisi Church in Elsten, but not as old as the Quatmannsburg — a ringwall that dates back to the 10th century. In case you didn’t know, that’s the 900’s; making it over a thousand years old.

OK, so maybe the Christinenhof isn’t that old, but it’s got the most graceful looking church. And the best part is, you can stay here. It’s all single rooms, however, but being alone doesn’t seem all that bad an option when you’re gaining access to its chapel and gardens.

Amazing how Cappeln manages to fit this all in, since it has a 145 acre nature area; called the Cappelner Bruch. I think that’s the crazy German way of saying — hike until you can’t hike anymore. ;-)

You know what else you can do in Cappeln? Enjoy one of its many festivals or cultural events. You don’t have to speak German to take in one of its Fall Concerts or its Advent celebrations.

No German necessary also for its St. Martin’s Parade in November, or its School Festival in July. And Cappeln is very family-friendly with family camping and family bike riding events.

You might not wanna take the kids to the Stallion Breeding Farm — some things are better left undiscussed, hah? Better yet, take ’em to the Dorfplatz — the Village Green that’s got its own pond.

I’m going back to one of the Christianhof’s single rooms… Ahh, peace & quiet, does a German good. Even if he’s got good friends. ;-)

If anyone out there says, “If you’ve seen one small Black Forest town, you’ve seen them all,” obviously has never been to Alpirsbach. And if anyone says, “if you’ve seen one medieval monastery, you’ve seen ‘em all,” ain’t ever been to Kloster Alpirsbach, or the Alpirsbach Abbey.

Both the town and the monastery that share the same name are intertwined, as they have been since the monastery was founded back in the Middle Ages; except the monastery isn’t made up of 77 shires, hamlets, and farms on the Kinzig River — like the town.

It’s hard to talk about one without the other, for over 900 years the Alpirsbach Abbey has dominated what’s gone on around these parts. The church is still having services after nine centuries; and what’s even more remarkable is that they hold both Catholic and Evangelical services.

The church and monastery are so wonderful, earning it a spot on the Northern Black Forest Monasteries Route. Yes, that’s a real scenic route.

FYI, it’s not the only one. Both the Ostweg and the Way Of St. James come through, too.

In the summer, Alpirsbach holds all kinds of concerts. The venue? The monastery, of course. See, they’re twinned in just about everything.

Leaving the monastery behind, Alpirsbach has its own Klosterbräu, a brewery that’s still making the good stuff (Pilsner, lager, Black beer) after almost two centuries.

Plus, if you like those half-timbered houses, Apirsbach delivers them in its historic Altstadt (Old Town). Sweet.

Walking around the Altstadt is a good plan, as is walking along the Skulpturenpfad (Sculpture Trail); created from the minds of 16 artists out of tree trunks. The Spa Gardens is where you’ll find this, as well as “band shell” for other musical events held in town.

And as this is the Black Forest, after all, who wouldn’t enjoy biking around the Kinzig Valley Cycle Route, or getting out on one the ski lifts for skiing fun during the winter?

I’ll take Alpirsbach any day of the week, any month of the year — but I’m not biking the 230km Black Forest Ultra Bike Marathon. Of course, if you’re willing to do it — I’ll be there to cheer you on. That is, if I can tear myself away from the Alpirsbach Abbey.

Do you really think someone could say, they’ve seen them all? OK, maybe once you’ve seen Alpirsbach, you won’t need to see anything else. ;-)

Depending on who you ask, Schweich in Rhineland-Palatinate is either on the Mosel or the Moselle. Wait, it’s the same river. It’s just that… being this close to Luxembourg it’s common to hear both French as well as German. (And its English name, BTW, is Moselle.)

Regardless what language you speak, I think you’ll find Schweich to be a charming and romantic lil’ town. Great… there’s the “R” word again. But, I got a better R-word for you. Romans.

Want another R-word? Römische Weinstrasse. Yup, Schweich lies on the Roman Wine Route following what was once a major supply route for the rowdy Romans.

The countryside is painted neatly with all sorts of vineyards on this small route — and Schweich has certainly earned its wine-drinking place. But, remember, no drinking & driving — so grab your most comfortable walking shoes and hike it.

You can’t spend your entire trip to Schweich all, uh, what’s the word? Oh yeah, half-lit. So, best to put the wine glass down for a spell — and hit up the 19th century St. Martin Church (it was built over an older one); see the Chapel of St. George, and former pilgrimage site of the Kapelle am Heilbrunnen.

Oh, I guess we’ve come up with another R-word: religious.

This isn’t the last of the religious sites either. Follow the Wegekapelle from around Schweich’s former Parish Church and you’ll see stunning pieces of religious art like its Crucifix and its Baroque statues.

Schweich’s 17th century former synagogue is now a cultural site with information on the town’s Jewish history (open Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays); and there’s also a well-preserved Jewish cemetery too.

Moving up a century, the Niederprümer Hof is where you can see what it was like to be a farmer back in the 18th century. Down in the wine cellar they’ve got wine tastings going on. A good place to discuss the farm’s exhibits on its famous-son poet, Stephan Andreas, wouldn’t ya say?

The 18th century also saw the construction of the Ferry Tower, once a bustling business along the Mosel, Moselle, or whatever you wanna call it. ;-)

Moving up another century to the 19th, Schweich got its own grinding mill. The Molitorsmühle, built 1824, is now a museum (open Saturdays and Sundays). A nice finish to the watermill, I’d say.

And a nice finish to Schweich, yes?

We think we’re all sophisticated, smart, and even clever in today’s world. What did the Romans know? What did the Celts do, let alone the guys from the Stone or Bronze Age? They knew enough to live here in what is today the cute lil’ town of Flein in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

Can’t say it was the wine that kept them; that didn’t come around until the 13th century. I’m thinkin’ it had to be the classy Swabian-Franconian Forest that kept them here.

Too bad they didn’t have all the modern conveniences like we got now. ;-)

Not much of Flein looks the way it did back then. A lot of building has gone on over the last seven centuries or so. Starting with the Church of St. Vitus, built in 1233; which has a War Memorial to the town’s WWI and WWII soldiers.

The Fischerhaus came much later in 1592 (it’s a half-timbered Renaissance style building), and the Kornhaus only three years later — built in the same gorgeous framework construction style.

Ahh, I tried to do this in order but I forgot one: the Karmeliterhäuschen or Carmelite House, built in 1537. This brings me back to the wine for a minute — this house overlooks the prettiest vineyards.

And this is a good idea to give Flein’s Wine Festival (in June) an honorable mention. So important is the grape around here that Flein even has its own Wine Column.

Flein is also artistic. It’s the hometown of local sculptor, Friedrich Göttle, and the house he used to live in is located at Ilsfelder Straße 72.

I wonder if Herr Göttle was ever inspired by the Autumn Harvest Festival in October, or the May Day festivities (May 1st)? And too bad they didn’t have Cabaret Days or church concerts back in Celtic times like they do now. I’m pretty sure the Romans did more marching for military reasons instead of taking a leisurely evening hike like you can now.

Guess we are a bit more clever in today’s world, after all… ;-)

Oh yeah, what a trip the town of Brechen turned out to be. One year living in this place isn’t enough — so everyone pack their bags, you’re moving to Brechen for at least two.

What is really the best part (OK, one of the best parts) is how many festivals and cultural events are going on in a town of three villages that’s not even 25 square kilometers, and doesn’t even have 7,000 people living there.

There’s no way I can do this in one shot to explain them all. But, I’ll try…

The warmer weather kicks off the Spring Market in March, followed by the Easter bonfire, and a community Flea Market in April. Festivities in April end with the Tanz in den Mai (Dance into May) celebration on April 30th; with the Lantern Festival, the Hofmarkt, two Summer Festivals, and a Pfarrfest (a church festival) all in June.

No rest for the weary, so get your party face on for the Kirmes and another Flea Market in August; the Red Wine Festival, and a Kirmes and an Oktoberfest in September. October there’s yet another Oktoberfest and the Erntedankfest (Thanksgiving Festival of sorts); followed by an Autumn Market in November, and all the Advent and Christmas celebrations (like the Christmas themed Night Hikes) and markets you can handle.

Do you see why being here just one year isn’t enough? ;-)

And please, I haven’t even gotten to all of Brechen’s churches yet. In the village of Oberbrechen, for instance, you’ve got the Kirche der Heiligen Sieben Brüder, or Church of the Holy Seven Brothers.

Hey, if Türkheim can have the story of the Seven Swabians, Brechen can have Seven Holy Brothers, right? :-)

Back to the churches, Brechen’s got the Anthony and Lady Chapels, the Mariahilf Chapel, the 19th century St. Maximins Pfarrkirche (Parish Church); and in the smallest village of Werschau there’s the Parish Church of St. George.

However, the most famous of all the churches and chapels is the Bergerkirche. You’ll know it when you see it with its wide 13th century tower. The church is actually older than that, dating to the 10th century. And it was used as a local parish church for more than 570 years.

The only thing older in Brechen is the Alteburg, or Old Castle. Not a medieval one, BTW, it was Roman — and, don’t sweat, it’s not a castle to begin with. The entire military camp was said to have been gone by 9 A.D. Yeah, that’s a single digit. Brechen’s Alteburg is now an archaeological site in the Taunus.

Yeah, you know where I’m going next — hiking in the Taunus. And the Westerwald, which is not too far either. Don’t worry if you get lost — you’re living here in Brechen for the next couple of years; so no need to rush. ;-)

Someone might hear that the town of Edertal has thirteen villages and tune out, thinking “how the hell am I gonna see all that?” Well, my friends, you don’t have to see all of it — but an effort to attempt it would be appreciated.

First off, Edertal lies along the Kellerwald within the Nature Park & National Park Kellerwald-Edersee, and the Rhenish Slate Mountains. Oh goody, some really pretty countryside to see.

One of the best places to appreciate the scenery is the village of Böhne, whose hiking tours will give you the best views of the valley. While you’re here, you’ll want to see the 17th century religious pieces at the village church.

And there are other churches you need to see too. The Village Church in Kleinern was built in 1681, and the village is quite proud of its Lindenholzaltar that was created in 1521.

Kleinern also has this totally awesome eco-village path, and a recreational/amusement area for both kids and adults known as the Freizeitanlage Spicke.

I digress because I almost missed out on telling you about another church. Which would be the 14th/15th century fortified one in the village of Königshagen. Everyone comes to see its Gothic baptismal font.

It’s back out into the countryside when you’ve gotten to the village of Gellershausen, which lies along the Kellerwaldsteig. If you wanna see the ruins of Burg Bring you gotta wait for low tide.

Low tide? Yeah, since all that remains of this 12th century (no one’s too sure how old it is exactly) are only visible when the tide goes out. Too bad no one’s sure about how or why it’s been empty for more than 400 years.

Don’t worry about the tide over at the Affolderner See, the Edersee, and the Edertalsperre, a huge reservoir and tourist attraction (see its webcam!).

I forgot this town’s got a village church with a 13th century tower, lots of pubs, half-timbered houses, and plenty of hiking & biking trails.

You’d need to spend a year here in Edertal to try and do everything — and even then I don’t think it’d be enough time. Especially if you’re going over to Bergheim to see the Schloss Bergheim (built 1692) and the Jewish cemetery at Am Weinberg.

In case you just gotta see one more castle, you’re really close to Schloss Waldeck (in Waldeck). But, ugh, don’t you have enough to see and do in Edertal itself?

The hard to pronounce town of Georgensgmünd lies within the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region in Middle Franconia. The funny part? You won’t be thinking of any place other than Georgensgmünd once you’re here.

Actually, I can’t think of anything other than Georgensgmünd’s massive statue of St. George and the Dragon that greeted me right when I entered this town.

St. George’s influence doesn’t end here as the church of St. George is Georgensgmünd’s landmark. It’s a Baroque styled church from the 1750s that was built over its medieval original. You can’t miss it, it has a green-tiled roof.

Another landmark of the town is its ancient looking Wasserrad, a six meter tall Water Wheel that was built in 1983 in honor of the town’s prehistoric industrial era. You find it at the former Paper Mill (called Papiermühle).

You can’t miss the Church of St. Wunibald, either. It’s got this incredibly steep triangular tower.

Georgensgmünd’s three other churches all come from the 15th century: St. Peter with its pink coloring and clock tower; St. Oswald a bit lonely out in the countryside that holds services on the 2nd Sunday of the month; and St. Mary’s, built in 1441, that’s got this ornately painted tower.

As if walking from church to church isn’t enough, it ain’t over yet. The Skulpturenweg is 2.4 kilometers of 15 sculptures, and hiking out to the Druidenstein is a must. It’s believed that ancient Celts used the stone for both animal and human sacrifices.

At least the Planetenweg (Planet Trail) is meant to be biked, not walked. It goes on for 7km taking you from the sun to Pluto — that’s not really a planet anymore, but I ain’t splittin’ hairs here.

Georgensgmünd also had a large Jewish population for just about four centuries. There’s an old Jewish cemetery (the last funeral took place in 1946), and an 18th century Wash House (called the Taharahaus) that’s now a Jewish Museum of sorts.

And, from the name of it, the town even seem to have a castle. The Markgrafenschlößlein is a manor house of sorts, a half-timbered house (& a cultural monument) in dark yellow & white that was built in 1666.

This is a town of cultural events, as well as history. Every year on the second Advent weekend is the town’s Christmas Market, one Sunday in June is the Wasserradfest, and on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month is Georgensgmünd’s Farmers Market — where you can buy everything from sausage to pottery.

See why I said you wouldn’t be thinkin’ of anywhere else other than Georgensgmünd, even if it is a challenge to get out of an English speaking mouth? ;-)

After thousands of German towns and villages, I think I’ve found yet another one that’s managed to make me a tad… what’s the word? Speechless. Yes, that’s it. Leggebruch has made me speechless.

Not for the reason you might think, though. You see, Leegebruch is small. Very, very small. It isn’t even 6.5 square kilometers, and it’s totally dwarfed by its bigger neighbors of Oranienburg and, um, Berlin.

Heck, it’s so small there’s only one hotel in the entire town. It’s the Hotel Leegebruch, if you wanna know. Touted as a “better alternative than either Berlin and Oranienburg,” the hotel is conveniently located, if you ask me.

While Leegebruch might have only one hotel, it’s very close to a number of castles. Not really medieval ones, if that’s what you’re looking for, but castles nonetheless.

With some imagination you can picture the Burgwall Leegebruch, a lowland castle from the 7th to 9th century that’s now an archaeological site.

One of the most popular ones is Schloss Schwante in Oberkrämer, which isn’t really a castle at all — it’s a manor house that was built in the 1740s. Today it’s a theater with its own restaurant.

I think Schloss Sommerswalde (also in Oberkrämer) is one of the prettiest, and looks a lot like the White House of the United States. To me it does, anyway. Heck, its stables are bigger than many people’s houses.

OK, enough of castles (for now), and back to Leipheim, we’re off to the the St. Petrus Church (located at Am Anger), and the Dorfaue, a small chapel that was used for many many years — right up until 1975.

At the corner of Birkenallee & Eichenallee is a small memorial to forced laborers during WWII.

As I said before, Leegebruch is pretty small so it won’t take you long to look around — but this is the Oberhavel District, so just enjoy the scenery for all its worth.

Come to think of it, that’s what made me speechless, again. ;-)

Whoo-hoo! It’s trivia time again here at MyGermanCity.com, and the question at hand doesn’t involve anything about beer or lederhosen. Oh, there’s a hint. We’re in Bavaria. More specifically, we’re in Leiphiem in Bavarian Swabia.

Back to the trivia question. Does anyone know how many chicken eggs it takes to equal one ostrich egg?

Now, you faithful readers should know by now there’s usually a reason I ask such things. And new readers, there’s usually a reason I ask such things. ;-)

Anyway, the answer is: about two dozen chicken eggs equals one ostrich egg. Don’t believe me? Just ask the Ostrich Farmers that you’ll find spread out over 80 acres here in Leipheim.

Ha! Told you there was a reason.

Leipheim has more than just ostriches, in case you’re wondering. There’s an old Renaissance castle from 1559, known as Schloss Leipheim. Come to hear its history about its medieval origins from the mid-11th century.

What else? Let me think… Oh yes, there are city tours that’ll walk you around the Tithe Barn (called the Zehntstadel), that’s now a civic hall for cultural events. And the Diakonische Sozialstation that’s a half-timbered 16th century building.

One other framework house you shouldn’t miss is the Blaue Ente. Translating to the Blue Duck, it wasn’t built in 1647, it was REbuilt in 1647 — because it was destroyed during the Thirty Years’ War. Now it’s a Local History Museum that has exhibits on beer (remember, Bavaria!) and the 16th century Peasants’ War.

And I wouldn’t (couldn’t) leave out mentioning the St. Veit Church, whose construction started in 1330 and took 118 years (!) to finish. Amazing how its 45-meter high towers are still standing.

Built prior to St. Veit’s is the Hospitalstiftung zum Heiligen Geist or Holy Spirit Hospital in 1315; and built much later is the Evangelical Pfarrhaus (a Parsonage building) in 1580. Keep your camera handy when you pass by the Hauserlesturm, a water tower that was part of Leipheim’s medieval defenses — and you can see it from near & far.

Of course a stroll along the Danube, which slices through town, is just as lovely as visiting its old buildings. Anyway, Leipheim is a gate to the Swabian Alb, so hiking is an absolute must.

While you’re out there, maybe you’ll come up with a trivia question or two for me to try and answer. ;-)