Munkholmen, a small island with a fort, served as an impregnable prison during Danish rule, built on the site of the oldest Benedictine monastery in Norway in honour of St. Lawrence around 1100. After the abandoned monastery was turned into royal pastures. In 1600, a fortress with towers, fortified with 35 guns, was built on the island and used as a prison for political prisoners. The most famous of these was a Danish statesman, Chancellor Peder Schumacher Griffenfeld, accused of bribery and treason.
The island of Munkholmen can be visited by boat, while admiring from the sea its ancient fortress walls. At night the fort is illuminated by a searchlight. In summer, holidaymakers come here to swim in the clear water under the ancient walls of the fortress. Amateur theatre performances are periodically organised here for visitors. Munkholmen Island has been transformed from a penal institution into a recreational area.
