Spend 48 hours in NewcastleGateshead and find out why it’s been branded the new capital of Britain.Day One - Friday12noon Head to the
Tourist Information Centre (Guildhall on the Newcastle Quayside, Gateshead Visitor Centre in St Mary’s Church on Gateshead Quays, or at the Central Station). Pick up a pocket guide, events leaflets and look out for The Crack, a great listings magazine – it’s free. Stroll around
Grainger Town, the historic centre, and orientate yourself, the streets radiate away from Earl Grey's Monument. Take note of Grey Street, voted ‘Best Street in Britain’ by Radio 4 listeners.
1.30pm Stop for lunch at one of the many café bars and restaurants. Pani’s is always a good bet, or people watch in
Café Royal with it’s all day bistro menu.
2.30pm Handily enough Grainger Town is mixed in with some fantastic shopping! Pop into the beautiful tiled Edwardian
Central Arcade and browse
Northumberland Street, Eldon Square and
Eldon Garden, the main shopping thoroughfare. For designer labels try the shops on
Princess Square – they sell more Gucci in the Newcastle Cruise than any other outlet!
4.00pm Head for the
Laing Art Gallery, entry is free and it’s not far from Grey’s Monument. Renowned for it’s leading Pre-Raphaelite artists, the gallery also hosts many stunning touring exhibitions.
7.30pm Take a walk to China Town’s Stowell Street for an array of Chinese restaurants or wander down Dean Street and the Quayside where there’s a good choice for every budget. Decide where you want to go…
The Theatre Royal is a good bet for dance, music, West End hits and contemporary works,
Live Theatre for exciting new writing in an intimate atmosphere or plump for one of the live music venues throughout the city.
Day Two - Saturday9.30am Wander around the Quayside and look out for the interesting public art. Walk across the award-winning
Gateshead Millennium Bridge (at night the bridge is lit and is particularly spectacular on weekend nights with coloured lighting) to Baltic Square. A must see is the
BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art. Entry is free and it has an ever-changing programming of cutting-edge exhibitions plus wonderful views of the cityscape. Another building you can’t help but notice is
The Sage Gateshead, a Sir Norman Foster building and home for music and musical discovery, again entry is free.
1.30pm Lunchtime. Many of the best restaurants are booked well in advance for dinner, so try them now. The Biscuit Factory is a popular one – a 10 minute walk – or
Café 21 do an excellent lunch deal.
2.30pm You choose. Spend an afternoon shopping at the
MetroCentre, the largest shopping centre in Europe, or check out some of the many galleries and museums, there’s a stack to choose from. If you like both shopping and galleries visit the
Biscuit Factory, a huge art-space housing an extensive array of paintings, sculpture, ceramics and glass, all for sale!
8.00pm Time to hit the bars and there are some great venues to choose from. Head to Jesmond’s Osborne Road, full of restaurants and bars, or try some of the trendy bars in the city centre. The coolest include
Popolos,
Barluga,
Apartment and
Tokyo, all serving great cocktails and light meals.
11.00pm Stick with a late-night bar, or head off to a club. With everything from swish dance clubs such as
Digital, a premier club hosting the huge Saturday ‘Shindig’ to the friendly, funky
World Headquarters, and everything in between, you can’t fail to find a club to impress.
Day Three - Sunday10.00am Relax, it’s Sunday, head for
Leazes or
Saltwell Park and take it easy. Jesmond Dene is just a 30 minute walk from the city centre, or 10 minutes from Jesmond Metro. The Dene itself is a narrow wooded valley, threaded with walks and pretty bridges. On Sundays Armstrong Bridge is packed with art and craft stalls selling, unusual and very affordable, locally made wares.
12noon Finish off with Sunday lunch. Try the
Bridge Hotel, nestled between the High Level Bridge and the Castle and then climb to the top of the castle and enjoy the views. Or try the
Head of Steam @ the Cluny in the Ouseburn - just up from the Quayside – no wonder it’s a favourite with the locals. Great food, friendly staff and plenty of outside space… very relaxing…
