Selje Abbey, Monastery ruins on Selja Island, Norway
Selje Abbey is a ruined monastery on Selja Island featuring stone walls, arches, and tower structures from the 12th century. The grounds display scattered remains of monastic buildings spread across this remote coastal location.
The abbey was founded around 1100 as a Benedictine monastery and housed the shrine of Saint Sunniva. It was abandoned in the early 16th century when the Reformation brought an end to monastic operations.
The site centers on Saint Sunniva, whose cave draws pilgrims and remains a focal point on the island. The ruins of a church dedicated to Saint Michael reveal how central this location was to early Christian practice in Norway.
A boat transports visitors from Selje harbor to the island, taking about 15 minutes. Guided tours are available during summer months, with the best visiting season between June and August.
Viking graves and Iron Age farmhouses have been discovered on the island, showing that people settled here across many centuries. These archaeological finds prove continuous human occupation long before the monastery existed.
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