If you want to experience the oldest and best preserved medieval monestary in Norway, the 30 minutes drive to Utstein is well worth the journey. The monestary has an idyllic location by the waterfront at the island Klosterøy outside Stavanger. It dates back to the late 1200s and is built in stone. Utstein was used as a monestary until the mid 1500s when it was turned into a residence. It then was a private owned property for more than 350 years before it was bought by the Norwegian government and turned into a museum. It is today owned by a foundation - the Utstein Kloster Foundation. The monestary’s church is still in use today. The same is other parts of the building mass. As well as a museum, some of the buildings are used for workshops, seminars, conferences and concerts. It is also possible to stay here. The journey to the monestary is by an impressive underwater tunnel which brings you down to 223 meters below sea level and is a great example of Norwegian tunnel expertise - regarded as one of the most advanced in the world.