Newcastle upon Tyne
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© OpenStreetMap, CARTO
Why aye, man! | Of course, mate! (Geordie greeting)
Why visit
Newcastle is one of Britain's most likeable cities, friendly, walkable, and architecturally striking. Walk the seven bridges across the Tyne with the well known Tyne Bridge and the blinking Gateshead Millennium 'eye' bridge as showstoppers. Visit the Sage Gateshead and BALTIC contemporary art on the south bank. Wander Grey Street's Georgian sweep, said to be Britain's finest. Eat stottie cake sandwiches and Newcastle Brown Ale at The Bridge Hotel. Day trips reach Hadrian's Wall, the Angel of the North sculpture, and the wild Northumbrian coast at Bamburgh and the Farne Islands.
When to avoid
Newcastle's nightlife is legendary but rough, the Bigg Market and Diamond Strip can feel chaotic on weekend nights with stag and hen parties. Pickpockets work the crowds. The Geordie accent can be impenetrable to outsiders. Football matches at St James' Park bring 50,000+ crowds and difficult parking. Book hotels well in advance for derby days. Winter wind off the North Sea is biting. Sundays in some districts shut down early. Don't underestimate distances if walking from the rail station to the Quayside, it's downhill in, brutally uphill out.
