Things to see and do Hamar

The archaeological museum presents objects from the Iron Age, the Viking Age and the Middle Ages. Built on and around the ruins of the medieval cathedral and the seat of the archbishop's palace (12th century), it is accompanied by a medicinal plant garden and a small open-air museum comprising some fifty ancient houses. The visit of the latter is free. Possibility of guided tours in English on different themes: medieval, musical, herbalist...

Located in a beautiful park on the shores of Lake Mjøsa, the Nordic Railway Museum (Norsk Jernbanemuseum, in Norwegian) houses station structures, rails and machinery dating back to 1860. One of the largest locomotives in Norway, known as the Dovregubben, and carriages from the royal train can be seen here. In summer, the steam locomotives Tertitten and Knertitten take visitors on a tour through the park.

The legendary Wagnerian singer Kirsten Flagstad (1895-1962) was born in Strandstuen, the oldest house in Hamar, not far from the cathedral. The exhibition, dedicated to her life and career, includes photos (she was a star singer at the Metropolitan in New York), personal objects and recordings. Kirsten Flagstad made her debut at the age of 18 and began singing Wagner's works in 1928. Her extremely powerful and well timed voice soon made her a star in Oslo, Stockholm, but also in Brussels and New York.

This skating hall, the fastest in the world, was built for the Lillehammer Olympic Games in 1994. Its architecture evokes the shape of an upside-down Viking ship (designed by Niels Torp and the Bjong&Bjong agency), and it's true that it's... stunning! A great success. World-class speed skating competitions are held here every year, but Vikingeskipet also hosts other types of sporting events (car rallies, soccer, luge races, track cycling) and cultural events (concerts, trade fairs and conferences).