The varied landscape rewards the pedaling with exciting views and insights. The monastery route starts in Maulbronn and leads through woods and fields from Maulbronn Monastery onward to Mühlacker. Following the "World Heritage Bike Trail", it goes through the Sulzwald forest to Ötisheim and further through the town of Mühlacker to the Enz river. From there, we cycle along the "Enz Valley Bike Trail" to Pforzheim. In the "Golden City", the Nagold flows into the Enz. There the monastery route follows the "Nagold Bike Trail" upstream to the stage destination Hirsau.
The cycling route starts at the monastery’s information center. From there, it goes through the large timber-framed gate towards the southwest. Immediately after the gate, we turn right, following the cycling path signs towards Mühlacker, passing the cemetery. At the cycling trail junction by the Catholic church, go straight through the hollow. At the roundabout, take the second exit uphill and pass the Raiffeisen market on the left until the Maulbronn fire station. There, the route turns right and follows the well-maintained gravel path towards Mühlacker parallel to the railway line to Ötisheim.
Before the roundabout at the town entrance, use the crossing aid to the left into "Maulbronner Straße" towards the center of Ötisheim. After crossing the square below St. Michael's Church, turn left and go past the town hall up "Schönenberger Straße." Continuing to follow the cycling signs towards Mühlacker, we pass the cemetery and take the cycle and footpath out of town to Erlenbach. First on "Quellenstr.", then on "Aischbühlstr.", heading straight through town into Mühlacker. In Mühlacker, at the roundabout, take the second exit, following the cycling signs into the pedestrian zone, and at the end of Bahnhofstraße, between Konrad-Adenauer-Platz and Kelterplatz, turn right passing the town hall onto the cycle and footbridge over B10.
Afterward, turn right downhill along Stadtgarten and over the Erlenbach, following the signs for the "Enz Valley Bike Trail" towards Pforzheim. From the outskirts of Enzberg, the route follows the canal to the Heinestraße intersection. Here, we change sides of the canal to cross under the B10 and also cross the Enz river. Then follow a cycle path towards Niefern. At the town edge of Niefern, before the fire station grounds, turn right and follow the path along the sports and recreation area. At the end of "Bohnenbergerstraße," the route crosses "Hauptstraße" to the left into "An der Enz" street, following the cycling signs along the industrial area.
After passing under the B10, the route continues for about 2 km on a paved service road towards Eutingen. After passing through the industrial area, after crossing "Georg Feuerstein Bridge," we turn left onto the Enz riverbank path. Cycling along the Enz, it is a relaxed ride through "Enzauen Park" to the Nagold river mouth below the park hotel. There, the route crosses the Enz and follows the signs for the "Nagold Bike Trail" and "German Timber-Frame Road" along the Nagold river. After passing through Stadtgarten, the route turns left into "Kallhardtstraße" and follows this on a cyclist-friendly footpath to the bridge at "Bleichstraße." The route stays on the west side of the Nagold and follows the "Davosweg" cycling path south towards Dillweißenstein.
At the town entrance, the route climbs steeply to the youth hostel, then descends to the station. Before the station, the route continues in a left-right combination on a paved service road above the Nagold. The route then follows the Nagold river for about 6 km parallel to the railway towards Unterreichenbach. After passing under B463, we cross a bridge to the east side of the Nagold. There, turn right onto a paved service road along the forest edge and downhill to the sewage treatment plant. At the bridge to Unterreichenbach, continue straight on a gravel forest road along the Nagold riverbank to the district road.
The route follows the cycling path along the district road and turns right before the railway crossing onto the cycle and footpath. For the next 3 km towards Monbachtal, the route stays below the railway line. At Monbach station, the route makes a “U” under the railway bridge, then turns left past the weir area to the bus turnaround. Before the bridge, turn left onto a paved service road roughly towards Bad Liebenzell. After about 2 km, the route changes to "Regulastraße" (L343A) and follows it to Bad Liebenzell station.
South of the station, we cross the tracks and veer half-right into "Reuchlinweg." The route now follows the street about 500 m uphill to the town edge, then changes to a paved service road to the roughly 2 km distant Ernstmühl. In Ernstmühl, after the railway underpass, turn left into the dead-end Nagoldweg. At the end of this dead-end, the route switches to a cycle-footpath and leads about 1.5 km between railway and Nagold towards Hirsau. In Hirsau, the route changes to the district road to reach B463 after a few meters. The route goes straight over the intersection and then right across the parking lot. At its end, turn left onto the paved Nagold riverbank path. Continuing, go under the sandstone bridge, then left, uphill to "Calwer Straße" and left over the bridge.
Following the roundabout at "Wildbader Straße," after about 300 m, the entrance to Hirsau Monastery is reached.
Bicycle, helmet, comfortable shoes and clothing, if necessary cycling gloves, drinking water, possibly provisions
