Newcastle

The City of Newcastle is known for its fabulous night life and clubbing scene, but there is much more to the city than just having a great night out. There are more theatres per head of the population that anywhere else in the country for a start, the Royal Shakespeare Company have a home in the Theatre Royal and the region is known for its cutting edge theatrical productions. There are huge concerts that take place throughout the year at the Metro Radio Area featuring all kinds of headline acts.

Regional Heritage

The heart of the city has to be the Castle Keep which has seen thousands of years of changing industry and architecture in the city that surrounds it. The Keep is one of the finest examples of a Northern Keep that is still in existence and still stands proud in the city, although some of the more modern architecture may rival it for dominance of the city skyline. A walk through Grainger Town will see you walking through streets filled with neoclassical architecture. There are also a number of important heritage sites around the region to visit such as Tynemouth Priory which dates back over 2000 years and of course Hadrian’s Wall which needs no introduction. It may not always be the sunniest part of the United Kingdom, but it does boast some of the most spectacular coastline you could hope to find. The beaches at Tynemouth have all been awarded blue flag status with all of the other beaches in the region being noted for their cleanliness and safety.

Retail Therapy

Newcastle city centre boasts fantastic opportunities for a bit of retail therapy, such as the Eldon Square shopping centre which is the largest city centre based shopping centre in the country.  A short trip outside of the city and you will arrive at the vast Metrocentre, the largest purpose built indoor leisure and shopping centre in Europe, complete with its own indoor theme park. Back in the city centre you will find some unique boutiques and some superb independent retailers based around High Bridge and Market Street.

Sports and Leisure

Newcastle and the surrounding areas are known for their impressive sporting heritage, with the region hosting some of the largest sporting events in the country. Athletics and climbing, as well as dry slope skiing can all be enjoyed as well as the biggest water park in the UK, despite what you might have thought there is much more to Newcastle than just football.

Time your visit to the city correctly and you could be in time to enjoy EAT!, one of the quirkiest food festivals that you will ever encounter. The summer sees the annual Air Show taking place in Sunderland which is one of the biggest free events in the UK, and there are plenty of parks and wide open spaces just waiting to be enjoyed. Not forgetting the Great North Run that attracts attention from around the world every year and the incredible children’s festival that takes place here, there is always something going on whenever you come to the city.