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Map of the beautiful island Tautra situated about twenty kilometers northeast of the Trondheim harbor (and four times that by road). Here we find ruins of an old monastery, a brand new monastery, an interesting flora and fauna, and wonderful recreation areas – among other things. It may be noted that in the times of the old monastery, 6–800 years ago, Tautra was two islands. Since then the land have risen 3–4 meters – the land is still rising after being weighted down by the ice more than ten thousand years ago.
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Ruins of the Cistercian monastery on Tautra. Founded 25 March 1207 this monastery became rich and important; this was terminated by the Protestant Reformation in 1537. Later on the abandoned monastery was used as a source for building stones, only a part of the church was saved from further willful destruction in 1846. Now people come to visit the ruins (and the rest of the island), not in great numbers, on a summer Sunday there may be 20–30 cars parked near the ruins. There is a small cafe and a souvenir shop there.
(2005-04-24)
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In 1999 a new Cistercian nun monastery was founded on Tautra. In 2006 the nuns moved into the new building, part of which is shown here. To the right is the church consecrated in 2007.
(2010-09-05)
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A sculpture on the east headland (Åbåten). It's a rooster, a literal interpretation of a less common Norwegian word, "glohane" = "ember rooster", here taken to mean "pork meat roasted on a spit". (One may also suspect a second meaning, local to Trondheim: "a strong alcoholic drink", which also seems to be appropriate, at least historically.) Members of "Trondhjems Seilforening" (yachting club) sail past for their annual barbecue in the vicinity and raised this "seamark" for their 1998 centennial.
(On the calm sea behind a few eider couples can be seen. The female duck is dark (brown), the male has a lot of white during the mating season and the whole winter. More about the eiders below.)
(2005-04-24)
Members of "Trondhjems Seilforening" are a strange bunch. Near the sculpture they own a large cabin and at the road to this cabin they put up this monument to celebrate another centennial. The heading is, translated, "The Empire Cuba / 100 years / 1906–2006 / / Erected by the Wise Council". Centennials are great excuses for celebrations, and you may have noted that there was one in 1998 and one in 2006. The first barbecue (glohane) took place in 1898 on a tiny and inhabited island a little more than two kilometers south of Tautra, called Øksningen (discernible in this picture). The islet was "annexed" and the "Republic of Cuba" was born. (I shall not go into the historical circumstances concerning Norway–Sweden and Cuba–Spain at that time.) In 1906 there was a "coup d'état" and the "republic" turned into "The Empire of Cuba".
(2008-08-31)
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Sailboats on the leeward side of the island Tautra, near Trondhjem Seilforening's cabin, during the annual barbecue weekend. (Most boats seem to have left.)
(2006-08-27)
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A picture taken from the hilltop west of the monastery ruins. The tide is low and the bay between the north and south part of the island is partly dry, and so is the strait (Svaet) towards the mainland.
(2010-09-05)
This island use to be an important breeding site for the (wild) eiders. There were no predators and the shallow strait towards the mainland provided plenty of the bird's food, the common mussels. In 1979 a 2½ kilometer road had been built across the strait. This had two effects: The road stopped the tidal current trough the strait so that the mussels didn't thrive there anymore and foxes, badgers and stoats had free access to the eggs and chickens on the island. In 2003 some of the road stone filling was replaced by a bridge and an automated gate is intended to prevent the predators from crossing the bridge. Now the mussels are back and if the gate's failure rate now will stay low, there is hope for the eiders. Well, there are stories about badgers waiting at the gate for a car to appear...
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View from the bird watching tower on the south part of the island towards 'Store Holmen'. Far out to the right the mist is hiding the town of Trondheim. To the left a small part of the closest mainland (Frosta) is seen, and in-between the islet Øksningen mention earlier is discernible. It's early spring and the snow has just gone, but here is still ice on the pond Sjødammen to the left. This part of the island is nice for hiking, sunning, lighting a fire and birdwatching (parking at the cemetery). Hiking in this area and on a large fraction of the north part of the island is prohibited during the bird breeding season 25. April – 15. July.
(2010-04-11)
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View from 'Store Holmen'. The tide is low and the cattle is ruminating on the beach. Most people here live from farming, but like on the adjoining mainland Frosta, producing potatoes and vegetables may be more common than cattle farming.
(2010-09-05)
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changed 2010-09-17