The island Tautra is located almost in the middle of the Trondheimsfjord, connected to the rest of Frosta by a 2.3 km causeway bridge.
Here you find the remains of the medieval Tautra Monastery that was established in 1207 and dissolved in the Protestant Reformation. The monastery was placed strategically, close to the Frostating — the central law-making institution in this region of Norway. In that context, the cistercienser monks of Tautra became a part of the nation-building in Norway.
In 2003 Tautra Mariakloster, a new Cistercian nunnery, was founded on the island.
A large part of the island and its surrounding water is designated as protected under the Ramsar Convention due to the rich bird life in the area. Tautra is considered to be one of the most important bird sites in the country.