Elverum

Elverum lies on the Glomma where routes through Østerdalen meet those crossing east and west. The river and the surrounding forests give the district its character, while its position on the approaches from Sweden made it a place of military importance as well as a local centre.

Norwegian troops checked a Swedish advance here in 1563 during the Northern Seven Years' War. A century later, new defences were raised west of the river: work on the earthwork later called Terningen began in 1673, and its guns were mounted in 1676. The small square work included a blockhouse for its garrison and a powder magazine. A stronger fortification at Hammersberg followed in the 1680s, receiving the name Christiansfjeld when King Christian V visited in 1685.