Welcome to retreat at Tautra Mariakloster!

Retreat is a time of love,

a time for the heart,

when restlessness and demands are let go.

Retreat is a chance

to listen

to the voice of your heart, or to silence,

and there discover

the presence of God.

Youth Retreats (20-35)

9.-11.april

7.-14.august - Themes from Luke's gospel

29.-31.oktober

Pray,

as Jesus prayed:

To the Father

Alone

By the sea

With others

With the psalms

In the silence of the heart

Places are limited! For further information: tautra@tautra.no

A monastery is a place of retreat from hectic, daily life, a place for silence, meditation and the opportunity to seek the Truth.  We receive guests whether or not they belong to a faith community.  As nuns, our life is dedicated to God in prayer and silence, and we ask our guests to respect this atmosphere while they are here.  Practically, this means we avoid unnecessary chatting, and ask that it be quiet in the guesthouse from 8.30 p.m. until 4.00 a.m. the next morning, when those who are coming to Vigils get up.  We are considerate of others who rest after the midday meal, and during the Great Silence which is from Compline at 7.30 p.m. until after Mass at 8.10 the next day.

Guests are welcome to participate in our prayer services (Liturgy of the Hours) and Mass in the church as they wish.  Our Catholic Mass is open to all, but until the day the churches are again reunited, only Catholics may receive Communion.  Others are welcome to come forward and receive a blessing from the priest.  This is indicated by placing your right hand on your left shoulder.

In order to give yourself the chance to disengage from your usual routine at home and work, and to protect the silence for the others in the house, we ask that you not use your mobile phone while you are here, and that you let your family and friends know you will not be available.  In an emergency, your family can call the monastery and leave a message.

The guest sister is responsible for contact between you and the monastery, and will try to meet any special needs you may have.  If you desire to speak with our chaplain or to one of the nuns for spiritual direction, this can be arranged.

The monastery has one guest house for women and one for men. The guests eat their dinner in silence in the guest refectory in the monastery, unless you give notice that you are not coming to dinner.  Guests make their own breakfast and supper in the kitchen of the guest house. The monastery supplies all food, bed linens and towels for your stay.  If you’re able, we ask a contribution to the upholding of the monastery and the guest facilities, but we do - within reasonable limits - want to receive you if you need some time to seek God!  We suggest 250 kroner per night, plus 100 kroner for all 3 meals.  If you would like to pay by faktura, please let us know at least 24 hours before you leave so the bookkeeper can print this out for you.

Since we take only a few guests at a time, we ask you to inform us as soon as possible if there is a change in your plans.  Let us know when you will be arriving, and whether you will be eating the noon meal with us the first day.

We do not receive visitors staying only one night. For overnighting we suggest Klostergården tel+47 74 80 85 33.  This is a wonderful bed and breakfast near the ruins, a 20 minute walk from the monastery. 

Our guesthouse is closed from December 22, through January.

Since we are only a few sisters here at Tautra Mariakloster, we are limited in our capacity to pickup guests at the airport or train station.  If you need our help to come to Tautra, we ask you to be considerate of the monastery's schedule.

• Try to plan your trip so that you arrive and depart on a Monday or a Friday, so we can pickup several guests at the same time.  You may need to wait until we are free to pick you up, or wait for another guest so we can pick you up together.
• If you come to the airport, please take the train to Åsen which will save us half the distance to Værnes.
• Whenever possible, try to choose a flight time after 11.00 a.m. so as not to disturb our regular liturgical celebrations.  You need to leave Tautra two hours before your flight.

When you arrive, call us on the telephone which is to the left of the main church entrance.  Please try to arrive before Compline which is at 7.30 p.m.  The portress will show you to your room.

Bus: A Frosta bus leaves the central bus station in Trondheim (plattform 1) at 3.10 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.  This bus will bring you all the way to Tautra if you tell the driver you are coming here.  Fridays this bus leaves at 5.10 p.m. and Saturdays at 1.10 p.m.

Nor-Way Bus Express (to Namsos) leaves the central station in Trondheim at 8.00 a.m. on weekdays.  You can transfer to the Frosta bus at Åsen.  You will then need to take a taxi from Frosta to Tautra.

Schooldays (except Tuesdays) there is a bus from the shopping center in Stjørdal, leaving at 3.10 p.m. and coming to Tautra.

From Værnes airport you can get the Frosta bus to pick you up at about 3.35 p.m., as long as you have called the bus company the day before 47 91 30 00.  There is only this one bus each day.  We do not recommend this option for non-locals as the arrangement is unreliable.

Train: The local train goes from Værnes to Åsen.  On weekdays the train leaves Værnes for Åsen at 15 minutes before each hour, and arrives at Åsen at 15 minutes after the hour.  It is about 30 km from Åsen to Tautra, so you must either order a taxi  or ask if the nuns can pick you up. You can order a taxi to take you to the train or express bus in Åsen, or to pick you up in Åsen and take you to Tautra.  It costs 42 kroner.  You must order the taxi 6 hours before you need it.  The offer holds whenever there is a train or express bus coming to/going from Åsen, weekdays and Sundays.  Skaret Taxi 9100 7633

The train from Trondheim to Åsen (toward Steinkjer) leaves Trondheim at 10 past every hour Monday through Friday.  From Steinkjer to Åsen (toward Trondheim) it stops at Åsen at 28 minutes past each hour.  Some trains are cancelled during the summer.  On weekends the train is only every other hour.

By car: from Trondheim, take E-6 north.  About 20 minutes after Stjørdal you will see the Åsen church on your left.  Turn left after the Esso station onto Route 753 to Frosta.  Continue on 753 until you see the sign for Tautra, and turn right to the causeway.  Once on the island, turn left and follow the signs to Mariaklosteret.

From Levanger, take E-6 south.  In about 20 minutes you come to Åsen.  Drive through the little town and turn right onto Route 753 toward Frosta just before the Esso station.  Continue on 753 until you see the sign for Tautra, and turn right to the causeway.  Once on the island, turn left and follow the signs to Mariaklosteret.

Have a good trip!