Hedmark Museum (Hedmarksmuseet og Domkirkeodden in Norwegian) in Hamar, Norway is a regional museum for the municipalities of Stange, Hamar (which now includes Vang i Hedmark), Løten, and Ringsaker in central eastern Norway. It includes the Cathedral Ruins in Hamar mentioned in Sigrid Undset's literary magnum opus Kristin Lavransdatter.
There are five noteworthy aspects to the museum:
Its medieval section includes the ruins of a medieval cathedral originally built in the Romanesque style and later converted to Gothic, as well as remnants of a bishop's priory. The distinctive arches in the cathedral ruins have recently been covered by an ambitious construction project undertaken by the Norwegian government. The cathedral was never deconsecrated, and remains under the religious authority of the Roman Catholic Church - weddings can only be performed there with the permission of the church. The medieval section also includes an active herb garden featuring plants used during the Middle Ages.
Its Ethnological museum provides a good sense of how people in the region lived from about the 16th century until the early 20th century. It includes buildings and courtyards collected from across the entire Hedemarken region, many of which have been restored to their original appearance. A few of the buildings are available to hire for social events. Among other noteworthy buildings, the collection includes one of the finest 19th century residential homes from the area.
It is an active archeological site, and visitors can see the state of the dig at any given time. Most of the medieval town is as yet unexcavated, and visitors can visit the site in a field outside the confines of the museum.
Its design has won architectural awards. The Medieval museum was designed by Sverre Fehn in concrete, wood and glass to contrast with the stone of the medieval ruins. As a barn was built on top of them, the architecture also seeks to both highlight the original medieval structure and the more recent farm buildings. Ramps provide the means to view the museum from above.
It is located in a beautiful recreational area along Lake Mjøsa. The recreational area is open to the public and includes a bathing area, gravel walkways, grass lawns, and a long shoreline.
The museum also houses one of the largest photography collections in Norway, covering the entire region of Hedemarken since photography was introduced.
