A city holiday outside London?

You might think that if you want to go on a short city break in the UK, you have to go to London. Not so - our regional cities have become an appealing destination for visitors in recent years. They are now competing with London and the many famous cities in the rest of Europe as places to visit on holiday.  Newcastle and the neighbouring town of Gateshead are good examples of this.

This area, in the north-east of England, was traditionally famous for industries such as shipbuilding and mining.  Now with the old industries largely gone it's widely recognised for its culture, lively atmosphere and shopping.

What is there to see?

Some of the most famous features of Newcastle are the bridges that span the Tyne, linking Gateshead on the south bank with Newcastle on the north. The newest addition to the Tyne bridges is the award-winning Gateshead Millennium Bridge, known as the ‘Blinking eye’.  The bridge has quickly become a symbol of the Tyneside area - in a recent poll it was voted by nearly half of all visitors as their favourite attraction.

The walk across the Millennium Bridge leads to the area’s second favourite riverside attraction, the Baltic Centre, a museum of modern art converted from an old flour mill.  It stands next to the river and houses a selection of mainly contemporary art.  A viewing platform high on the building gives a unique view of the river and Tyne bridges.

Another addition to the Baltic Quays area is the Sage Gateshead.  Currently under construction, it's a glass structure designed by the famous British architect Sir Norman Foster.  It will be an international home for music and musical discovery, and will include concert halls, exhibition areas and educational facilities.

What is there to do?

There's plenty of other things for visitors to do.  We love to shop, so the nearby Metro Centre is always crowded.  It's a huge shopping mall, full of all the high street shops, as well as smaller outlets selling everything from designer clothes to crafts.  Newcastle city centre, with its pretty Georgian architecture, is also well known for its shopping.  There are plenty of coffee shops, cafés and restaurants where you can rest after a busy day shopping.