The best cycling routes around Knittlingen

Today, the Amthof in its entirety is a cultural monument of particular importance and is considered by historians and heritage conservationists to be the best-preserved monastic farmstead in Southern Germany. With the incorporation of the town hall into the tithe barn, the renovation of the rectory and other buildings, its significance has been expanded again and its fabric saved from decay. Thus, the Amthof will retain its importance as a cultural monument and focal point for the town of Oberderdingen in the years to come.

View to the Stromberg

https://www.knittlingen.de/stadt-knittlingen/stadtgeschichte "Monday, June 2nd, I will depart. My heart expanded in all the expectations of what I will see and hear. Never have I felt so well as when, half an hour from here, I rode down the mountain – and below me lay Knittlingen…" (Friedrich Hölderlin in a letter from 1788)https://As "Württemberg's foremost bulwark and border fortress against the Palatinate" Knittlingen was first mentioned in a document in 843, then still as "Cnudelingen". In 1148, the Maulbronn monastery, completed a year earlier, acquired the rights over Knittlingen, where one of the monastery's seven granges also arose. In the following centuries, Knittlingen suffered major destruction multiple times – for example in 1360 by the Count Palatine of the Rhine, in the Thirty Years' War in 1632 by the troops of Imperial General Ernesto Montecuccoli, and in 1692 by the French. Partially devastating fires affected many historical buildings. Great influence on the development of urban life was exerted in 1490 by the idea of the Taxis dynasty (since 1650 Thurn und Taxis) to establish a horse relay post from Dutch Mechelen to Austrian Innsbruck and to open a post station in Knittlingen. From 1806 Knittlingen was part of the Oberamt Maulbronn, and in 1840 the place was officially granted town rights. From 1938 to 1972 Knittlingen belonged to the Vaihingen district, and since its dissolution to the Enzkreis in the administrative district of Karlsruhe. The history of Knittlingen's sub-districts Freudenstein (first mentioned in documents around 1251 as "Frodenstein") and Hohenklingen (first mentioned in writing in 1312) also dates back to the 13th or 14th century. The Waldensian village of Kleinvillars was founded in 1699 by reformed religious refugees from Piedmont. The incorporation of Kleinvillars into the town of Knittlingen took place on February 15, 1972, and the amalgamation of Freudenstein-Hohenklingen on August 9, 1975. Also not to be forgotten are the two Spanish partner municipalities Benaoján and Montejaque, with whom Knittlingen has been friendly connected for over 50 years, and since 2010 there has also been an official partnership. www.knittlingen.de/tourismus-freizeit/radtouren

Just a few kilometers west of Maulbronn Monastery lies the Elfinger Hof estate, one of the monastery's first granges. Together with the neighboring vineyard, it was among the monastery's most important economic holdings. Elfinger Hof encompassed 130 to 150 hectares, and as an estate, it was described as 190 hectares in 1870 by the Maulbronn district office (see Hachenberger 1990). The estate's layout is depicted on the Württemberg cadastral map of 1835. To the west of the estate and north of Elfinger Lake, there was another pond. The updated cadastral map of 1891 shows a garden and a path leading to the drained Elfinger Lake to the south of the estate.

Here you can marvel at the best-preserved medieval monastic farmstead. For details on the individual buildings, see Wikipedia or information on site. Text from the information board (with site plan) at the "Hexenturm": "The 150 x 200 m Amthof is one of the best-preserved medieval monastic farmsteads; it was also the grange of the Herrenalb Monastery for the Kraichgau region. As early as the 10th century, the Weißenburg sources mention a Selhof manor in Derdingen. In 1216, Herrenalb, the Cistercian monastery in the Northern Black Forest, is named as the owner of the Pfleghof, and by 1252 it was the sole owner of all sovereign rights in Derdingen. The monks established a monastic office here in the mid-15th century. Even after the Reformation, the monastic administrative office of Derdingen remained the center of the Württemberg possessions in the Kraichgau. Both the monastic administrator and the Württemberg district administrator had their seats in the current rectory. Since 1534, the farm has been referred to as Amthof. In a major fire in 1693, the wine press went up in flames, the roof structure of the chapel also burned down, as did the Bandhaus (cooperage), a hay barn next to the tithe barn, and one of the 4 towers in the Amthof, the Diebsbodenturm. As late as 1710, the drawbridge at the Amthof gate was renewed, and iron chains were installed instead of ropes. In 1717, the church tower received its current pointed helmet instead of the collapsed Welsch hood, which contained a watch room. In 1806, the Derdingen administrative office was dissolved; since 1808, the administrative building has been the seat of the local pastor. As late as 1870, the moat around the Amthof wall was partially filled. It was not until around 1903 that the Amthof wall was breached near the Hexenturm to create a second access road to the Amthof. In the years 1984-1988, the Amthof was renovated in consultation with the monument preservation authorities. As a cultural monument of high importance, the Amthof was placed under monument protection. Since the conversion of the tithe barn into the town hall and the renovation of the administrative building, the former monastic farmstead has once again become the center of the community. A small exhibition on the history of the Amthof is shown in the Hexenturm!"

A central location in Oberderdingen. It's a great place to rest in front of the Amthof.

There are chilled drinks and delicious 😋 ice cream 🍨

Seeing is believing