In search of the lost paradise, more and more people are interested in the history of gardens and horticulture. They visit, for example, monastery gardens, as the cultivation of gardens in our regions began with the monks in the Middle Ages. The Cistercians played a special role in this, as they made it their mission to transform wild, uninhabited areas into fertile land. They cleared land, drained swamps, created gardens and ponds, and cultivated new fruit varieties that spread across Europe with the new monastery foundations. New horticultural techniques radiated from the monasteries as models into the surrounding areas. Today, only traces of this monumental cultural achievement remain: on one hand, plant motifs in the simple architecture of the Cistercians, and on the other hand, fruit varieties such as the Gray French Renette or the Ruländer. Numerous photos illustrate this.