The story doesn't start well. This three-acre piece of land off the short of Trondheim started as an execution spot for the Vikings. Eventually, the first monastery in Norway's history was built here somewhere in the 1000s, and housed Benedictine monks. That led the place to be known (in English) as Monk's Inlet.
A few fires did some damage to the place over the centuries. Then the reformation arrived, and this was the last outpost in the country to fall to the Protestants. They surrendered in 1537. The building was left to rot, and eventually some of the pieces were used to put up a fortress there. Nothing is left of the monastery. Prisoners were kept there in the 16th century, and 400 or so years later the Nazis used the island for military purposes.
At least this nice little spot is used for good now. It's a great place for concerts and other events in the summer.
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