Schöntal: Monastery, Jagst Valley, and Baroque Discoveries
Accommodation in Schöntal
In Schöntal, monastery history meets the landscape of the Jagst Valley. Schöntal Monastery is idyllically situated in the Jagst Valley in Hohenlohe; its Baroque church stands out with an imposing twin-tower façade. If you would like to combine culture and nature on your holiday, you’ll find a range of themes for your trip here: the architecture of the monastery complex, a view from Kreuzberg, and the landscape around Neusaß.
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Photo: Tilman2007 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
The Monastery Complex and Baroque Architecture
The abbey church was built from 1708 to 1736 as a tall, bright, cruciform hall and consecrated in 1736. Its shape and twin-tower façade make it a striking example of Baroque church architecture at Schöntal Monastery. The New Abbey is also part of the complex’s history and appearance: it was built from 1737 to 1749 and features a richly decorated staircase. The tomb of the knight Götz von Berlichingen is also located in the New Abbey.
Another building with its own history is the Holy Sepulchre Chapel on Kreuzberg. It was built from 1716 to 1720 as a slender octagon, based on a design by Balthasar Neumann and executed by Bernhard Schießer. Schöntal is therefore home to different forms of Baroque architecture: the tall, cruciform church, the decorated staircase of the New Abbey, and the slender chapel. If you are particularly interested in architecture and monastery history, these places can form the cultural focus of your stay.
Views, Gardens, and the Jagst
A footpath about 300 metres long leads uphill to the Holy Sepulchre Chapel. From there, you can enjoy a view across the valley. If you would like to include a short walk to a viewpoint in your trip, you can treat this visit as a separate stop.
For quieter moments, the newly landscaped convent garden offers space to rest, stroll, and linger. The Kreuzgarten at Schöntal Monastery has a children’s playground, making it an interesting place in the monastery grounds for families with children, too. When planning your stay, you can choose between a trip to the chapel, a stroll, and a break in the garden without giving up the cultural side of your trip.
At the weir at Schöntal Monastery, there is an unsupervised bathing spot in the flowing Jagst. The water is not sampled or monitored. You should take these conditions into account when deciding whether to swim. This bathing spot is therefore very different from a supervised or monitored swimming facility.
More Places and Landscapes
Neusaß lies above Schöntal Monastery, amid woods, meadows, and fields. The village is considered the original site of Schöntal Monastery; Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa confirmed the monastery’s foundation in a letter of protection in 1157. If you are interested in the monastery’s beginnings, you can include Neusaß as a historical point of reference when exploring Schöntal. The landscape there also offers a different perspective on the surroundings than the Baroque architecture of the monastery complex.
Aschhausen Castle rises above the Erlenbach Valley, a side valley of the Jagst. It was built in the 17th or 18th century and is privately owned by the Zeppelin-Aschhausen family. Visits can be arranged by phone at 07943 2358. If you would like to visit Aschhausen Castle, you can call to ask about a visit.
For more discoveries: Mulfingen, Niedernhall, Pfedelbach, Ingelfingen, Krautheim, Sindringen, Weißbach and Öhringen.
For the main travel overview: Hohenlohe.
