Munkholmen

Munkholmen has served almost every purpose a small island can. In the Viking period it was a place of execution, and the head of Earl Haakon is said to have been displayed here. Around 1030 Benedictine monks founded a monastery on it, one of the earliest in Scandinavia, which lasted until the Reformation. It then became a fortress and a state prison, holding among others Peder Griffenfeld, the Danish chancellor, for eighteen years from 1680. It was used militarily into the twentieth century. Today it is a summer excursion: a boat from the fish market quay, a small beach, a cafe, guided tours of the fortress buildings and a view back to the city and the fjord.

What you actually see

• The fortress buildings - the round fort and prison structures on the islet.
• The monastery traces - remains of the eleventh-century Benedictine house.
• The bathing spot - a small beach used by Trondheim in summer.
• The city view - Trondheim and the fjord from the water.

When to go

June to August, when the boat runs and the cafe is open; outside the season there is no public access. Warm weekends fill the small beach and the boats.

Honest expectations

Access is by seasonal boat only, with limited sailings and cancellations in poor weather. The island is small, seen in an hour or two, and facilities are basic. The historic buildings are partly closed and interpretation is limited outside guided tours.

Nearby

Trondheim's Ravnkloa fish market is the departure point; Nidaros Cathedral and Bakklandet are in the city.