Munkeby Monastery Ruins

MUNKEBY MONASTERY RUINS
Situated at Okkenhaug in Levanger, the ruins was a monastery of the cistercienser order and was probably erected in the latter half of the 1100s by English munks.  The monastery was not active for very long, it almost certainly shut down in 1207, when the new cistercienser monastery at Tautra was established.

Today we see no visible remains after the monastery, only building remains after the actual monastery church. After the monastery was closed down, the church was used as a parish church from 1475 to 1589. The ruins are administered by the Society for the Protection of Norwegian Ancient Monuments

In 2016 the monastery ruins were for the first time used as a backdrop in the theater productio of "Ronja Røverdatter". There is a hope that the ruins can be used i more cultural  performances. 

MUNKEBY MARIA MONASTERY
Even though the monastery is gone, the history is still alive. In 2009, for the first time in 500 years, cistercienser munks from Citeaux i n France established a new monastery. The new monastery is not far from the ruins. 

The monks residing in Munkeby today have established a small  cheese dairy  and produces the famous Munkeby cheese. The cheese is a melding of Norwegian milk and traditional knowledge by the cistercienser monks . The Abbediet Citeaux, Munkeby's mother monastery, have for more than a 100 years produced a cheese that is very well known in France. The cheese is available from the self service monastery shop, situated at the parking area by the monastery.

Half way between  the monastery ruins and the new Munkeby Maria Monastery you will find Munkeby Herberge, featuring accommodation for pilgrims and a cafe.