St. Ulrich's Priory in the Black Forest, Cluniac monastery in Bollschweil, Germany.
St. Ulrich's Priory is a former monastery set in the Möhlin River valley that combines structures from different eras. The complex features a Baroque church alongside a Romanesque baptismal font and medieval artworks that speak to the lives of those who lived within these walls.
Saint Ulrich founded this priory in 1083 as a dependent house of Cluny Abbey on the western edge of the Black Forest. The community later underwent a transformation that redirected its spiritual focus and purpose.
The place takes its name from Saint Ulrich, a reformer who shaped monastic practice in the region. Visitors can still sense the connection to local history through the preserved spaces and artworks on display.
The grounds can be explored on foot and sit in a hilly, forested area of the Black Forest. The location is straightforward to reach, though the terrain is rolling and calls for sturdy footwear.
The priory was the only Cluniac community on the right bank of the Rhine, making it an unusual outpost of this French reform movement. This rare standing shaped the place's importance in the medieval Church.
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