Stuttgart Stories

We're back! Work commitments interrupted our regular does of Stuttgart-area coolness.

Today we take you to the MARTINSKIRCHE in NECKARTAILFINGEN. Built in the 12th century, the Romanesque church is distinguished for two reasons: the tower is quite crooked (seriously, you'll see it coming into town) and the place is full of medieval wall paintings showing the lives of the saints and Bible stories. It's truly a gorgeous local treasure, and very atmospheric.

DIRECTIONS: Schulberg 10, 72666 in your GPS will get you there. The 188 bus from Nürtingen train station will also get you there.

HERRENBERG, on the S-Bahn line to Böblingen is a town well worth a visit. Founded in the 12th century, it's a very well-preserved medieval city with churches, ecclesiastical buildings and merchant's houses.

It's also a town that's endured a lot. Besieged on multiple occasions, ransacked by peasant armies during the 'Bauernkrieg', and stricken by plague a number of times, it hasn't caught much of a break. However, it was never fully destroyed, and maybe that's why it was spared a complete rebuild that would change the character of the city.

Highlights include the castle ruins on the hilltop, the huge Stiftskirche that dominates the town, the bell museum, and the well-preserved town centre.

Directions: Herrenberg is the last stop on the S1 S-Bahn line. It is also readily accessible by road by the A831 and B14.

Wanna hear a spooky local story? Here's one of a few I'll tell this October.

On October 5, 1600, the Obervogt, or local bailiff of Schorndorf, Jakob von Validlingen had finished a long day of hearing cases in the town of Gerardstetten. As it happened, he ran into his friend, local noble Konrad von Degenfeld, who had been attending a wedding in the area.

As friends do they decided to go for a drink - or several. After a night of carousing at a local Inn, both Jakob and Konrad decided to go to bed.

As he did every night, Konrad placed his sword in another room, and ensured that he had room to himself. You see, Jakob had been a soldier, and had suffered a head injury in the past. Whether as a result of that, or what we'd call PTSD today, he was prone to fits of rage when startled. He knew this, and he took good care.

Unfortunately, that evening, a series of events conspired to cause tragedy. The first was that a rapier had been left in Jakob's room. The second was that Konrad experienced a bout of sleepwalking - something he was prone to.

As a consequence, when Konrad staggered into Jakob's room, wrapped in his bedsheet, Jakob panicked. Acting on instinct, he grabbed for something - anything - and drove it into Konrad when he didn't respond.

Konrad died instantly.

Jakob was imprisoned, and expected to be brought to trial. As a noble, he was certainly due that. However, in this case, that didn't happen. Instead, within days of the incident, Jakob's priest informed him that Friedrich, Duke of Würrttemberg, had ordered his immediate ex*****on. Some say that Konrad's relatives at the court had pressured the Duke to order this. It was a massive breach of judicial standards, even for the time.

On October 15, 1600, Jakob was led to the marketplace in Waiblingen and beheaded by a swordsman. His story became the subject of a popular ballad, and there's a beautiful memorial to him in the church at Deufringen, his ancestral home. By all accounts, many praised his ability to accept the punishment, and his dignity in the face of death.

That said, to this day, it is claimed that Jakob's castle at Deufringen is still haunted by his ghost - sometimes complete, sometimes without his head. Considering the castle is used by the local village as an administrative centre, there's a lot of locals with stories to tell!

Today we travel to the HOHENASPERG, just outside ASPERG, near LUDWIGSBURG. Originally a holy place to the Celt tribes who lived in the region, almost all of their remaining gravemounds in the region are aligned towards the large hill, paying a form of tribute.

In the middle ages, the Franks had a small king's palace there, and a village grew up around it. In the 16th century, the Duchy of Württemberg turned it into a fortress and then a prison. From that point onwards it has been the site of imprisonment for dissidents, traitors, criminal and all those who earned the scorn of the reigning Duke. Look up the stories of Josef ''Süß' Oppenheimer and Christian Friedrich Daniel Schubart,for a taste of these terrible times. in the N**i era, it was used to hold opponents of the regime.

Today, the Hohenasperg is the high-security prison for the criminally insane in Baden-Württemberg, but there is a large museum, charting the history of the place. Highly recommended!

Directions: Hohenasperg 1, 71679 in your GPS will get you there. The nearest S-Bahn station is Asperg, a 20 minute walk away.

Today (and the next entry or so) will take us to nearby ROTTENBURG AM NECKAR - or should we say, SUMELOCENNA! At the time of the Roman Empire, this land was part of the Roman province of Germania Major. As such, it was settled, and a thriving community stood where the town of Rottenburg sits today. It lasted until the fourth century, when it was deserted in the face of tribal incursions as the Western Empire fell.

A few years ago, as the city was building a new carpark, a ROMAN BATH COMPLEX was exposed, showing just what a sophisticated, comfortable place Rottenburg could have been, even way back then. The city has now turned it into a museum, where you can not only learn about Roman bathing traditions, but what life would have been like in Roman Germany - not just for the legions, but for settlers, and the Suebi tribes who adopted their way of life.

Directions: Stadtgraben, 72108 in your GPS wl get you there. Rottenburg am Neckar Bahnhof is a ten minute walk away. €2,50 entry fee, children under six free.

Today, we have a regional treasure - and rightly so. BURG TECK near OWEN, BISSINGEN and DETTINGEN is a place of history and mystery.

Originally a site of power and magic to early Celt tribes, the Teckberg has had numerous finds discovered on it.

With the arrival of the Middle Ages, it become a stronghold of the Teck, an offshoot of the Zähringer family. When they died out in the 15th century, it became property of the Dukes of Württemberg.

In 1525 the castle was destroyed by peasant armies during the 'Bauernkrieg' and left in ruins until the 18th century, when the Dukes of Württemberg began to build a fortress... until the money ran out.

In the 20th century, it was used as a location for N**i celebrations (some with decidedly pagan overtones) before the place was turned into a kind of youth hostel and restaurant by the Schwäbische Albverein.

Below the castle (about 50m by path) sits the SIBYLLENHÖHLE. This was supposedly the home of a wise woman who would tell anyone who claimed up the hill their future. It goes in about 30 metres, and when it was excavated, thousands of ice age animal bones were recovered.

Needless to say, the views up top are *spectacular*.

Directions: 73266 Bissingen should get you to the Hörnle carpark, where there's a 25 minute walk up to the castle - suitable for strollers. There are also walking paths from Dettingen and Owen Bahnhofs.

This weekend, why not check out BURGRUINE WEIBERTREU, near WEINSBERG, just outside of HEILBRONN.

This 12th century castle is known for two famous historical events, one slightly misted in fable, one very, very real.

On December 21, 1140, the Guelph forces of castle surrendered to the Staufers, who had been besieging it - this was part of a very complex, very long medieval 'gamg war', that makes 'Game of Thrones' look simple.

King Konrad III, in a moment of mercy, informed the women of the castle that they could leave with whatever they could carry. The men would be executed.

What did the women do, it is said? They carried the men down the hill, saving their lives!

'The faithful wives of Weinsberg' subsequently entered German folklore.

The other story isn't so whimsical. On April 16, 1525, the guards of the city let a peasant army enter the city, during the 'Bauernkrieg', or German Peasant's War.

Ludwig von Helfenstein-Wiesensteig, the local lord - who had a cruel reputation - was disarmed and taken with his men to the hillside, where they were forced to run a gauntlet until they were impaled.

This event shocked the entire German lands, and helped turned sentiment against the peasant armies.

Directions: Am Grasigen Hag, 74189 in your GPS will get you there. The S4 from Heilbronn Hbf will get you there too. The walk from the station to the castle ruin Is about 20 minutes.

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Have you made your way to Schwäbisch Hall yet? This medieval city seems to have a story hidden down every alley...

(Republished The Local Germany from 2019)

Weekend Wanderlust: Hidden medieval charms in Schwäbisch Hall This charming city in Baden-Württemberg remains off the trodden tourist path - despite an over a thousand-year old history as a hub of trade, and remaining largely unscathed over the centuries.

Today's Stuttgart secret is the tiny monastery, KLISTER DENKENDORF, in DENKENDORF.

This monastery was established in the 11th century after the local lord went on crusade and returned. In the crypt, a replica of the empty grave of Jesus was built. This made the site a very powerful site of pilgrimage in the region. As a consequence, the Romanesque church was beautifully decorated with stone carving, even when it had to be rebuilt during the 14th century war between Swabian cities.

The monastery managed to survive the Reformation, like many other, by becoming a boy's school. Now it's a training centre and seminary.

Be sure to explore the grounds, and enjoy yhe peaceful monastery pond.

Directions: Klosterhof 8, 73770 in your GPS will get you there. The 119 and 120 bus from Ostfildern Nellingen UBahn will get you within 650m of the monastery.

Today's treasure literally contains a cabinet of wonders. The Landesmuseum Württemberg has just reopened at the ALTES SCHLOSS, and a lot has been refurbished.

This museum contains over 40,000 years of history, and you can see such wonders as:

* The mask of the 'Steer of Isfeld', a notorious brigand.
* The barrel that miscreants were forced into in the Schwäbisch Gmünd as punishment.
* An Alamannic sword with one of the few depictions of a man in a berzerker state.
* A very rude Roman statue.
..and that's just the beginning.

Make sure to check out the 'Wunderkammer', or 'Chamber of Wonders' that is filled with all the strange and wonderful trinkets that the Dukes and Kings of Württemberg gathered over the centuries.

Directions: The nearest UBahn stop is Schlossplatz. You can't miss it from there. Old castle.

Today's pick is something a little less spectacular than a castle or monastery, but no less moving.

The LABYRINTH at the NELLINGEN KLOSTERHOF was created by the women of Nellingen back in 1992, in the former monastery garden at Nellingen.

Surrounded by medieval monastery walls, and somewhat separated from the outside world around it, it's a peaceful calm place to just sit and contemplate.

It's not out of place either. In the middle ages, labyrinths were a means to go on a mini-pilgrimage - you'd walk meditatively and pray.

Sometimes you'll find little offerings and decorations left by locals. It's a modern-day sacred site.

Directions: Klosterhof 12, 73760 in your GPS will get you there. Nearest Ubahn is Ostfildern-Nellingen, about a 10 minute walk away.

Ok, this is a place that shows you that the 'old ways' still survive. The STIFTSKIRCHE in FAURNDAU dates from the 13th century, and is one of the most beautiful and important Romanesque buildings in Germany.

For those unfamiliar with the term, Romanesque is the architectural style we associate with the 11th to 13th centuries - lots of arches, with simple, carved stone decoration.

The inside is covered with medieval wallpaintings dating from that time, telling Biblical stories - take a light and a good camera!

Two things, however, set this place apart. One is a strange statue that is referred to as a 'Watcher in the Dark', that doesn't seem to have any Biblical reference. It seems to be some kind of quasi-Pagan survival, a protective charm.

The other is a little more humourous. On one of the arches, a little stone man can be seen with, uh, an erect phallus! This is definitely a protective charm, and said to deter demons...

A lovely church with a strange aura.

Directions: Stiftstraße 16, 73035 will get you there. Nearest train station is Faurndau, a 15 minute walk away.

It's one of the most beautiful monasteries in Southern Germany, that made an invaluable contribution to art and culture. Heck, German literary giant Herman Hesse stayed there for a time. Yet all every Swabian will associate with KLOSTER (Abbey) MAULBRONN in MAULBRONN, is that it's the birthplace of the most Stuttgarter food ever - the Maultaschen!

Maulbronn Abbey managed to survive the havoc wrought by the Reformation by becoming a thriving boy's school. This not only ensured that the monastery buildings survived, but it was even expanded at various times. It's still filled with beautiful art.

Yes, we can't avoid the pork and spinach ravioli in the room - it is the supposed birthplace of the Maultaschen. Apparently a plot by devious monks to fool God into not noticing that they were eating meat on holy days, the dish was first served here. There's a load of restaurants in the area claiming they do them the most original way.

Some things to check out include the carved student graffiti on the walls, the medieval wallpaintings you can find in dark corners, and the beautiful fountain room.

Directions: Klosterhof 5, 75433 in your GPS will get you there. Otherwise, catch a train to Pforzheim and a train to Maulbronn (Stadt). It's a short walk to the Kloster from there.

Our next regional treasure is very famous among the locals, but relatively unknown among recent arrivals.

The BLAUTOPF in BLAUBEUREN is the entrance to an underground Karst spring that extends kilometres.

Due to limestone particles in the water, any sunlight is reflected as a dazzling blue, even in the depths of winter.

Since the 19th century, it's been a tourist attraction, with the author Mörike using it as the backdrop for some of his fairy tales and fables.

Close by is a stunning medieval abbey, and URMU, a museum that showcases the many Stone Age artefacts discovered nearby.

DIRECTIONS: Auf dem Graben 1, 89143 in your GPS will get you there. Otherwise, catch a Regio train to Ulm, then one back to Blaubeuren. Blautopf is then a 10 minute walk.

Today's find is an absolute local legend. BURG REUSSENSTEIN near NEIDLINGEN is not a hugely important castle historically, but it is utterly spectacular, like something out of 'Game of Thrones'.

Originally built to defend the roads towards Ulm, it fell out of use in the 16th century.

In recent years, the castle has been reinforced and made safe, and you can explore pretty much all of the ruins, with amazing views across the Neidlinger Tal.

DIrections: 73349 Neidlingen will get you there. You can also hike uphill from Neidlingen - about 2.5km. There's also a bus stop nearby.

Today we have the site of a legendary battle between the Archangel Michael and the Devil! According to legend, the pair got into a scrap at the MICHAELSBERG near CLEEBRONN and Michael lost a feather, which was apparently held at the monastery there.

In truth, the Michaelsberg was a cult site for the Celts and Romans, before becoming the site of an early Alamannic church. It's always been a spiritual site, with plenty of legends about it.

The church on the hill, next to the monastery, is full of medieval wall paintings.

Directions: Michaelsberg, 74389 in your GPS will get you there by car. Buses on the VVS run to Bönnigheim, and it's about an hour's hike from there, if by foot.

Today's find is the IPF near BOPFINGEN. This steep hill at the border with Bavaria is the site of an ancient Celt hillfort, beginning a thousand years before the birth of Christ.

Finds have shown that this was no ramshackle collection of huts, but rather a small town that traded across huge distances, and was incredibly talented at jewelry and weapon creation.

At the bottom of the hill stands at an open air museum, featuring reconstructions of the kinds of buildings found at the site. There's also a reconstructed grave mound nearby, and explanatory boards that explain the lives and feats of the ancient 'Suebi'.

Directions: Alte Kirchheimer Str,, 7344 will get you there. A train to Bopfingen, via Aalen will also get you within a 2km hike.

Today's local treasure is the ALTES SCHLOSS in ALTENSTEIG. Originally built to serve as the local outpost of the Baillifs of Baden., It would later become a possession of Württemberg.

The castle was first built in the 13th century, and the walls we see still date from that time. The inner keep was hugely expanded in the 17th century.

Castles like this were both military outposts and local centres for law and order. The two towers we see are called 'Hell' (the brown one) and 'Heaven' (the one with the window). These were both prisons. Which one you ended up in largely depended on how much coin you had, or your noble rank.

It is one of the best-preserved medieval castles in Southern Germany.

Today, the castle is a museum, open on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons. However, the castle grounds can be accessed at any time. There is also a playground.

Directions: Altes Schloss, 72213 in your GPS will get you there. The X77 bus from Herrenverg will also get you there, but with a hill climb. Fun Fact - this is as far away from Stuttgart as you can get on the VVS.

I'll be sharing a find from the Landesmuseum Württemberg every day for the next few weeks, as it's about to reopen - and if you haven't been in the past, it's really time to do so!

Today's find is the BRONZE KLINE from the HOCHDORF CHIEFTAIN'S GRAVE. This is the metal couch, borrowing heavily from Greek and Etruscan designs, that a Celtic 'prince' was laid on when he was buried near present-day Ludwigsburg around 550BC.

In life, these couches would have been reclined on, while people are, like at a Greek 'symposium'.

It is heavily incised, with a sharp tool, showing warriors engaged it chariot races and ritual combat,with similarities to Etruscan finds of the same era.

It is held up as evidence that the Celts of the Stuttgart region were making a conscious effort to become 'Hellenized' and establish cultural links with the Mediterranean world.

Today's site to explore is the RÖMERPARK KÖNGEN in KÖNGEN - or should I say, the Roman auxiliary fort of Grinario!

If you're military (Hi Stuttgart Friends !) you're part of an extremely long tradition in the Stuttgart area. That's because the former border of the Roman Empire - what is known as the Upper Rhaetian Limes ran close to Stuttgart, to the north. On the other side lived the Germanic tribes, who had so soundly annihilated three Roman legions in the Teutoburger Wald.

The Limes itself was a series of ramparts, wooden palisades and watchtowers. Behind them lay forts that were manned by either legionaries or auxiliaries (non-citizen volunteers from Roman provinces). There was actually a lot of cavalry in the area - there was a huge cavalry fort at Aalen, which will be the subject of another post.

We don't know who served at Grinario, but we do know that they were probably mounted troops, who arrived about 80AD and left around 159AD to be deployed closer to the border at Lorch.

Today the site is a museum showcasing both artefacts that demonstrate life on the Limes, as well as statues found in the region.

Looking towards the Alb, you can imagine how threatening it must have seemed to those Roman auxiliaries to be staring out into those forests and mountains - and you can gain an appreciation for how long they managed to stick around!

Directions: Beethovenstraße 11, 73257 will get you there, if placed in your GPS. Nearest S-Bahn station is Wendlingen am Neckar.

DIEPOLDSBURG is a 13th century castle set high above the LENNINGER TAL. Built by local knights, it eventually cecame a base for robber barons - that is to say, knights who made their fortune by holding up travelers moving through their lands and demanding a toll, on pain of death.

By the 16th century, gunpowder and more developed means of communication meant that robbing travelers was beginning to become more trouble than it was worth, and the castle fell into ruins.

Today, you have amazing views from Diepoldsburg over to BURG TECK - a place that will feature in a future story.

Directions: You can either hike up to the castle from Unterlenningen, using Google Maps or Komoot (moderate fitness required), or drive to Diepoldsburg 1, 73266 and park at the Freizeitheim there - then it's just a short walk.

Last week I (Mike) had the absolute pleasure of guiding students from the International School of Stuttgart around the city to explore its many layers.

It's got me thinking about unique tour experiences in and around Stuttgart. What kinds of things would you like to explore, or find out about? Who'd like to be a beta tester for some of these new adventures?

Today's amazing find is the JOHANNESKIRCHE in SCHWÄBISCH GMÜND. It was founded by Agnes, the daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV and wife of the Duke of Swabia, in the 12th century.

As the story goes, Agnes lost her wedding ring while hunting, and vowed to build a church where it was recovered. When the ring turned up in the antlers of a stag that had been brought down by arrows, the Johanneskirche was built on the spot.

Once surrounded by a large cemetery, the Johanneskirche has avoided a lot of the reconstruction and renovations that many churches have. Outwardly, it still has a lot of the 12th century decoration.

Inside, much of the medieval character has been retained. This is helped by the fact that the church is now used to store sculptures from the cathedral elsewhere in town.

One highlight is the 'Staufer Madonna', a pillar from the very first cathedral, and also dating from the 12th century. As a work of Romanesque sculpture, it is priceless.

DIRECTIONS: Bocksgasse 9, 73525 in your GPS will get you there. BWegt regio trains also run trains to Schwäbisch Gmünd from Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof multiple times a day.

Today we have another castle in the Stuttgart region for you to explore: BURG WÄSCHERSCHLOSS near WASCHBEUREN.

Burg Waschenbeuren, as it stands today, was first built in the 13th century as a holding of the Hohenstaufen dynasty. This local family would rise to become rulers of the Holy Roman Empire, and include legendary figures such as Frederick Barbarossa.

Amazingly, it has survived the centuries of war that plagued the region, and ended up as a holding of Imperial Austria.

Today it's a museum, giving the story of the castle and the surrounding area. Sometimes they have events such as tournaments and falconry in the large courtyard!

There's a charming legend about the castle, that states that Frederick Barbarossa fell in love with a washerwoman at the castle during a visit, and gifted it to her as a consequence. However, this has no truth to it. However, the building has many other exciting stories.

Directions: Putting 'Wäscherschloß, 73116 Wäschenbeuren' in your GPS, will get you there. Bus transport is possible from Göppingen to the village of Waschbeuren.

Today's Stuttgart treasure is overlooked, even by many Stuttgarters. It is the SCHICKSALSBRUNNEN, outside the STAATSOPER. However, it hides a truly tragic story - and your author think it's an awful memorial!

The fountain was designed and built in 1914 by Karl Donndorf, as a memorial for the opera singer, Anna Sutter.

Anna Sutter was a Swiss soprano who was brought to the Stuttgarter Staatsoper to sing in the early years of the 20th century. She was incredibly popular, and her recordings were sold across Europe, the UK and the US.

She was also unconventional and somewhat progressive for her era - u***d, with children, a woman who liked to party, gamble and drink. It was her fondness for younger men, however, that shocked somewhat stuffy Stuttgart.

Anna met a tragic end on the 29th of June, 1910, when a spurned ex-lover, Aloys Obrist, broke into her apartment and shot her, before shooting himself.

What makes the memorial so awful is what it represents. Allegories of the good times and bad times in life bookend the fountain, while the goddess of fate sits in the middle.

Across top of the fountain runs a line of poetry. Paraphrased, it reads something like 'Things may be great right now, but tomorrow the dark wave of fate may knock you over'.

Pretty passuve-aggressive, huh? She deserves so much better...

Directions: You can pay your respects to Anna by visiting the fountain outside the Staatsoper. The nearest UBahn station is Staatsgalerie.

Today's hidden gem is an entire community - ALDINGEN, part of REMSECK AM NECKAR.

Aldingen is a community that was founded in the aftermath of the collapse of the Western Roman Empire. Alamannic tribespeople moved into the lush meadows by the Neckar.

The place really came to prominence after it was given to the Lords of Kaltental, who held it for hundreds of years, until it was absorbed into Württemberg.

There's a couple of things you shouldn't miss, after you've checked out the beautiful Margaretenkirche.

Near the centre of town is a column that shows the high water mark for flooding over the last 250 years. The level for 1824 was way over your correspondent's head, and he's a tall guy!

A statue nearby depicts George Wolf von Kaltental, a 17th century Lord of Kaltental who was one of those who fought the Turks in what is today Serbia. Next to him stands the orphan Adiz, who is depicted as a child, although in actuality she was 15 when Georg brought her back to Aldingen, following the Siege of Belgrade. Some say she married a local and went on to have a number of children whose descendants live in the area.

Finally, do check out the Schlössle - if only for the fact that it was purchased by the Jüngling brothers, who opened a brewery there. Later they'd move to the US, change their name to Yuengling, and make quite a name for themselves.

Directions: Take the U12 from Charlottenplatz towards Remseck, and get off at Brückenstraße.

Today's treasure is the VEITSKAPELLE in MÜHLHAUSEN. Built in the 14th century by Reinhart Von Mühlhausen, a local merchant, who made good in Prague.

The church itself isn't unique in being covered in wall paintings - from the 10 - 16th centuries, most were. It was a means of teaching Bible stories to the illiterate . What is unique is how well the paintings of the Veitskapelle have been preserved through the centuries.

The church is dedicated to St Vitus - Veit, in German. Inside, the paintings show the story of his martyrdom.

The church is open each Sunday between 14.00 and 16.30.

DIRECTIONS: The Veitskapelle is a short walk from the last stop on the U14, Mühlhausen.

Today your humble tour guide finally experienced one of the great Stuttgart rites of passage, riding the 'Paternoster' lift at the Stuttgart Rathaus, or city hall.

Part of the post war reconstruction, these lifts don't have doors, or stop moving for that matter. Embarking and disembarking is a question of judgement and reflexes - it's a surprisingly thrilling thing, hopping on and off.

Despite the changing times, Stuttgart has been reluctant to get rid of the 'Paternoster'. Manfred Rommel, the former mayor, even campaigned in favour of keeping them during a 2004 refurb.

They run, and are available to the public from 10am-5pm each day, except when they've been closed, following an incident (no, I'm not kidding).

Directions: The 'Paternoster' is on the right of the ground floor of the Rathaus. Nearest UBahn is, funnily enough, Rathaus.

Today, your 'hidden gem' is HIRSAU ABBEY, near Calw, a very important Benedictine monastery of the middle ages - in fact, there's been a monastic foundation there since the 9th century.

It was here that significant reforms were introduced to monasteries across the German speaking lands, making them a much more powerful force in society.

After the Reformation, the monastery declined in power and prestige, until the Dukes of Württemberg bought it at a discount price and built a hunting lodge there.

The place was left in ruins in the late 17th century, after the French attacked it during the Palatinate War of Succession.

Be sure to check out the Marienkapelle and the Owl Tower!

Today, the site is administered by the state of Baden-Württemberg and is open every day days (excluding Tuesdays) between 10am and 6pm.

Directions: Catch a train to Pforzheim, then to Hirsau - it's a short walk after that. The address is Klosterhof, 75365