Klosterroute Nordschwarzwald – Gesamtstrecke

For centuries, people in the northern Black Forest traveled on foot, rich and poor alike. The multi-day hike on the monastery route offers an unforgettable, powerful experience for people of today - a direct encounter with history and nature. Conveniently signposted, the hiking trails lead past magnificent views and valuable cultural assets.

The hiking route from Maulbronn to Alpirsbach is dotted with historical, cultural and scenic highlights. The Gäurandweg, the Huguenot and Waldensian Trail, the Ostweg, the Flößerpfad - the Klosterroute Nordschwarzwald covers all of these natural and cultural trails. And on top of that, there is also a wealth of experiences from a tradition of over 1000 years of monks and nuns in the northern Black Forest.

With the Mulbronn Monastery, no less than a UNESO World Heritage Site awaits hikers right at the start. Only ruins remain of the next stop, the Hirsau Monastery. However, these bear witness to the radiance that emanated from the monastery in the Nagold Valley in the 11th century. The route continues via the picturesque 800-year-old Dominican convent of Maria Reuthin in Wildberg, situated on the banks of the Nagold. The destination of the eight-day hike, the Alpirsbach Monastery, is one of the most famous monasteries in Baden-Württemberg, and not just because of its beer. The imposing red sandstone building complex dominates the center of the small town of Alpirsbach as a testimony to a bygone era, the time of great piety in the Middle Ages, the political and social upheavals during the Reformation through to secularization.

But the hike has much more to offer than just the four monasteries of Maulbronn, Hirsau, Wildberg and Alpirsbach. The Eppingen Lines, once defenses in the War of the Palatinate Succession, accompany hikers at the start of the route. The Gäurandweg, an ancient long-distance hiking trail, is the heart of the monastery route and offers countless views of the landscape between the Heckengäu and Black Forest. The Huguenot and Waldensian Trail, which the Klosterroute follows in the middle section, tells the story of thousands of religious refugees from Piedmont. Calw is the birthplace of Hermann Hesse and is home to over 200 listed half-timbered houses, two attractions that are absolutely worth seeing. The St. Candidus Church in Kentheim is just one example of the many sacred buildings along the route. The rafting trail from Loßburg to Alpirsbach provides an insight into the Black Forest's most important industry for many decades.