Hamar (pop. 16,000) is the chief town of Hedmark county, which lies on the north side of the Akersvik, at the mouth of the Furnesfjord, which runs north for some 15km/9mi. West of the town, on the Storhamarodde (Domkirkeodde) peninsula, are the ruins of the 12th century Cathedral of Hamar and the Hedmark Museum, with numbers of old wooden
buildings (the oldest dating from 1583), an open-air theater and a restaurant. A huge glass roof is built over the Cathedral ruins to protect them against further damage from environmental influences; the structure was built with assistance from the European Community.
Hamar is also known for its indoor long track speed skating arena, the Olympia Hall, which was built for the 1994 Winter Olympics.
A little way north is Norway's only Railroad Museum (Jernbanemuseet), the Norwegian national railway museum. Hamar is an important railway junction between two different lines.