Section “Maulbronn/Stromberg Monastic Landscape” of the European Cistercian Way ceremonially opened!
For the ceremonial opening of the “Cistercian Way” in the “Maulbronn/Stromberg Monastic Landscape” section on 20 and 21 May 2023, Nature Park employee and project coordinator Amelie Baur worked out a colourful bouquet of programme items together with the regional and national partners. True to the Cistercian motto: Porta patet, cor magis – the door is open, more so the heart!
With a church service, the ceremonial unveiling of an information portal, a small reception and guided tours of Maulbronn Monastery and the surrounding area, the Maulbronn/Stromberg section of the new European long-distance hiking trail “Cistercian Way” was officially opened on Saturday, 20 May, with guests from the region and from the partner sites of the Cisterscapes project.
A hike along the new path from Maulbronn to the Nature Park Market in Oberderdingen court and the market with its more than 30 regional vendors – heirs, if you will, to the Cistercian work – brought the programme for the opening of the hiking trail section to a worthy conclusion.
The Cistercian Way continues!
On 21-23 April 2023, the next stage of the long-distance hiking trail was opened in the monastic landscape of Pforte! On this occasion, the partners also officially presented their landscape model at the Pforta Boarding School!
Official inauguration of the Cisterscapes app with landscape model and film!
On 18 April 2023, our landscape model and the accompanying app were officially inaugurated in the foyer of the Bamberg District Office! The free app “Cisterscapes” is available in all app stores! We would like to thank all those involved once again for their cooperation and support!
Afterwards, our specially produced Cisterscapes landscape film was screened for the first time at the Odeon cinema in Bamberg. Many thanks to the filmmaker David Sünderhauf and all those involved! The film will soon be available for viewing and downloading via our homepage.
The model can be viewed and tried out at any time during the opening hours of the District Office!
Opening of the long-distance hiking trail “Cistercian Way” at our Czech partners in Plasy!
Last weekend (31 March to 2 April 23), another section of the Cistercian long-distance hiking trail was ceremonially opened: this time in Plasy!
Many thanks to our partners in the Czech Republic!
10 March 2023: The project of cooperation between the three countries in the field of Cistercian culinary heritage was launched at a kick-off meeting in Vyšší Brod
The Cistercians are a truly European order that has spread across many countries since the Middle Ages and continues to shape the cultural landscape in many places today. This European approach is also followed by the new project “Cistercian Culinary Heritage in Central Europe”, whose leaders from the Czech Republic, Germany and Austria gathered on 10 March for the kick-off meeting in Vyšší Brod, Czech Republic. Research into old monastic recipes and local traditions will begin in the spring, overseen by the University of Paris Lodron Salzburg.
Around ten participating monasteries will be actively involved in the project with their monastic archives and libraries, including those in the Cisterscapes network, which is currently applying for European Heritage status. The following questions need to be answered: To what extent can regional specialities be traced back to their monastic origins? What was typical of monastic table culture? Which forgotten culinary treasures can perhaps still be discovered?
We are excited and looking forward to the new project!
1 March 2023: successful submission of our EHL application!
Our application for the European Heritage Label has successfully been submitted in due time! Bavarian State Minister Melanie Huml and Bamberg district administrator Johann Kalb officially handed it in in Brussels.
Many thanks to all Cisterscapes partners for your great participation and suppport!
Cisterscapes – Cistercian landscapes connecting Europe is on its way to the European Heritage Label!!
Our project and its network has officially been nominated as the German candidate in the race for the European Heritage Label on 5 October 2022! The Conference of the Ministers of Education and Culture has thus taken us one step closer to our goal! The final application will be submitted mid-February.
(photo: district Bamberg: our official candidacy announcement)

Interesting report by the Slovenian national television on our partner site, the monastic landscape of Kostanjevica na Krki!
Lovely short film about the monastic landscape of Waldsassen
The team of Bewegter Blick (www.bewegterblick.de) has produced and published a (German only) short film on our partner site Waldsassen:
From September 23 to 25, 2022, the Cistercian Way hiking trail section from Waldsassen to Klosterlangheim was officially opened!

The Cistercian Way: hiking trail section opening in Wągrowiec-Łekno!
On the weekend of September 18, 2022, a new section of our long-distance hiking trail will be opened! This takes place at our Polish partner site, the Cistercian landscape of Wągrowiec-Łekno! Our wandering Cisterscapes boar will surely be attending too!
For more information, click here!

Our new project trailer!
Our application for the European Heritage Label is on its way!
Cistercian monastic landscapes connect people across Europe. They are a common cultural heritage. 17 partners from five countries have taken on this heritage. Coordinated by the district of Bamberg they are jointly applying for the European Heritage Label.
Application milestones:
Unity in diversity is the motto that unites us.
We are ready to retell our story.
We are Cisterscapes – Cistercian Landscapes connecting Europe.
