Munkeby Abbey (Ruin)

The founding of Munkeby Abbey is dated to around 1150, but no later than 1180, when it was first mentioned in documents. It is believed that it may have been a foundation of Lysekloster. As early as 1207, it was relocated to the nearby Tautra Abbey, after which Munkeby continued as a grange. An attempt to revive the monastery around 1470 failed. In 1567, the complex was destroyed by fire. The church, dedicated to Saint Brettiva, served as a parish church until 1589. Excavations were carried out in 1910, and since 1967, the ruin has been owned by the Norwegian Society for the Preservation of Ancient Monuments. A new Cistercian monastery was founded nearby in 2007, the first in 500 years.

The Munkeby Abbey Ruin is situated near Okkenhaug in the municipality of Levanger, in the Nord-Trøndelag district of the Trøndelag region, Norway, at an elevation of approximately 120 meters above sea level.

Today, the outer walls of the church are preserved up to a height of one to two meters, revealing a nave and a choir with side chapels on both sides. The ruin, which also served as a quarry in its history, is accessible to visitors.