Kloster Bebenhausen

Kloster Bebenhausen stands in a clearing of the Schönbuch, a forest that surrounds it on every side. Thick sandstone walls, pointed arches and quiet courtyards set a medieval tone from the first step. Cistercian monks raised these halls for a life of prayer, work and deliberate simplicity. They chose a secluded yet rich setting, one that suited their rules of order and modesty.

The monastery church shows the Cistercian ideal at first glance: bare surfaces, daylight and nothing that distracts. The monks ate in two large refectories, one for summer and one for winter. In the nineteenth century cloistered peace gave way to courtly display. Parts of the buildings became a hunting palace for the royal family of Württemberg. A Gothic cloister forms the heart of the complex, a covered walkway linking every corner.

Picture the last royal couple of Württemberg settling into halls first built for monks. The royal era brought its own luxuries: a modern palace kitchen and a private bathroom for the queen. Her bathroom, a sensation in its day, remains the detail that stays with you.