Schönau: Discover monastic history in the townscape

Schönau combines a remarkable monastic history with traces that can still be read in the townscape today. This gives your stay a clear cultural focus: the former Cistercian abbey and the town’s development. A historical walking tour, a companion app and the Hühnerfautei Museum of Cultural History offer different ways to explore this subject. For regional variety, the wider destination of Rhein-Neckar-Kreis offers other distinct themes.

The former abbey and its traces

In 1142, Cistercian monks founded a monastery in the secluded valley of the “beautiful meadow” at the confluence of the Steinach and Greiner Bach rivers. The abbey was dissolved in 1558 during the Reformation. Thus, both the foundation at this special location and the later dissolution are part of Schönau’s history. If you are interested in the development of the monastery complex, these two historical milestones offer a clear starting point.

An unusual feature of today’s streetscape brings the former complex to life in the town: a clearly delineated, large-format sandstone pavement marks the original remains of the former monastery complex beneath the street surface. The paving makes the spot clearly visible while also pointing to a historical layer beneath today’s street surface. It therefore offers a tangible way to experience the monastic history not just as a sequence of events, but also in the townscape as it exists today.

Explore the history on a walking tour

The town of Schönau, together with the “Alt Schönau” association, has created a historical walking tour. Numbered stops offer insights into the former monastery complex and the town’s development in later centuries. The tour thus connects the monastic history with a look at the town’s broader history; each stop introduces one of the route’s themes.

Another way to explore the complex is the “Altstadtrundgang Schönau” app. It explains the complex’s history in its present and original forms and offers one tour for adults and another for children and young people. If you are travelling with children or young people, this gives you a dedicated version for their age groups alongside the adult tour. The association describes the app as free to download; it was developed for smartphones and tablets. If you are interested, you can check the current download options in advance.

The Hühnerfautei Museum of Cultural History is also one of the places to visit for local history. The 2026 events calendar lists opening hours from 2:30 to 5:00 p.m. on Sundays starting April 19, 2026, as well as during special events. Hours may change, so check them before planning a visit.

A regional perspective: Rhein-Neckar-Kreis

Other places in the wider destination of Rhein-Neckar-Kreis offer their own cultural highlights. The Electoral Palatinate Palace in Schwetzingen features a Rococo theatre and a world-famous park; asparagus has also been grown in Schwetzingen for around 350 years. Ladenburg offers a different historical perspective: large parts of the town centre’s character still reflect the Middle Ages and, in places, Roman times. Parts of the former town wall and defensive towers have been preserved in Wiesloch.

The regional themes also differ in terms of landscapes and activities. The Bergstraße and the eastern part of Rhein-Neckar-Kreis lie within the Neckartal-Odenwald Nature Park. Eberbach has 150 kilometres of marked hiking trails. At Waidsee in Weinheim, there are areas for paddlers, sailors and windsurfers; at the bathing lake in St. Leon, water skiing or wakeboarding is available on a cable system. These examples locate culture, hiking and water sports in different parts of the wider destination.

The answer gives your trip planning a sense of direction without treating the different regional offerings as though they were the same.

Discover more destinations

Laudenbach, Neidenstein, Reilingen, Rauenberg, Ladenburg, Bammental, Hilsbach, Neckargemünd

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