[1] The abbey, dedicated to Saint Laurence, was founded in its present location during the reign of King Magnus VI of Norway (1263–1280).

At its height, up to 12 monks lived at Utstein, with twice as many lay people working on the building, doing the cooking, and doing the farming.

Utstein Abbey is the best-preserved monastery in all of Norway, still using both the church and the eastern and southern part of the ground floor of the convent buildings.

These renovations put it in a position so that the buildings now serve as venue for concerts, seminars, and conventions.

[1][2] The Utstein Abbey is also well known for its role in hosting conferences for development of reporting guidelines in emergency medicine, resuscitation, and traumatology.