Germany's most beautiful monastery.

When traveling in Europe, churches and monasteries are common attractions. My favorite is the Maulbronn Monastery in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is ancient, beautiful, mysterious, and quiet. Built in the 12th century, it belongs to the Cistercian order of the Catholic Church. In an era when the church was becoming increasingly wealthy and corrupt, the monks of this order insisted on living a simple and frugal life. Walking in the monastery, imagining the life and faith of the ascetics here hundreds of years ago, it seems to be walking in another time and space.