Lyse kloster ruiner

Norway, Norway

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Lyse kloster ruiner, located in Bjørnafjorden municipality near Bergen, Norway, represent the remains of the country's first Cistercian monastery, founded in 1146 by Bishop Sigurd of Bergen on his farmland with monks from England's Fountains Abbey. Built in the second half of the 12th century from local soapstone following English and French models, it prospered through agriculture—including pioneering fruit orchards in Hardanger—until dissolution in 1536-1537 during the Lutheran Reformation, after which its stones were repurposed for landmarks like Bergen's Rosenkrantz Tower and Denmark's Kronborg Castle. Excavated in the 19th century, 1920s, and 1970s with partial 1930s reconstructions distinguishing monks' and lay brothers' areas, the site now reveals a Greek cross church layout amid scenic fields, complemented by a nearby 1662-1663 wooden chapel with Baroque features.