Hamar is located on the shores of Mjøsa, Norway's biggest lake, and is the principal city of the Hedmark county.
The town, founded in 1152, is known for its indoor speed skating arena, the Olympia Hall, better known as Vikingskipet ("The Viking ship") for its shape. It was built to host the speed skating competitions of the 1994 Winter Olympics that were held in nearby Lillehammer.