Newcastle Travel Guide
Travel guide to Newcastle, England with comprehensive information about events, shopping, and major Newcastle sporting events to help you enjoy your visit more.
Newcastle Overview
Newcastle upon Tyne, situated in the North East of England is a city rich in industrial and cultural heritage. It also has a well earned reputation for fantastic nightlife, and this combination of attributes makes the city a great place to visit.
With a historical background of coal mines and heavy industry the city has seen many changes with the decline of its traditional work, leading to regeneration that has created the wonderful new city of Newcastle, with some fantastic art works on display, great modern architecture throughout the city and fast developing new industries in electronics and biotechnology.
The Industrial Revolution is what created Newcastle and the surrounding area in the first place - with coal power being crucial to the country here was home to many mines. It is also where George Stephenson, builder of the famous "Rocket" steam engine originates from, indicative of the influences to be found in this part of the country.
The city seems to have the ability to shift as the environment changes, maintaining its position as a key British city and ensuring its population are taken care of. A lot of this is actually down to the people themselves. The Geordies as they are called are such a warm and caring group of people who will always do what they can to support their neighbours; and it is this spirit that has made Newcastle as strong as it is.
Top Newcastle Attractions
There are a whole host of museums and galleries in Newcastle, as well as some wonderful architecture, with the glorious bridges over the Tyne being an amazing sight. However it is on the way into Newcastle that one of its most dramatic elements can be seen. The Angel of the North, standing at the gateway to Tyneside adjacent to the A1, dominates the landscape atop a hill. Standing 20 metres high and with a span of 54 metres it welcomes visitors to the area.
Shopping in Newcastle
As with most cities in the UK,. Newcastle's main shops are to be found around the city centre, with the out of town retail parks catering for the some of the bigger items and the grocery shopping. In the heart of Newcastle lies Eldon Square, with almost 150 shops, cafes, restaurants and bars. Surrounding this, radiating out from the centre of the city are an array of smaller shops, offering more personal and distinct experiences.
Newcastle Sporting Events
Football is almost a religion here, stemming from the dark industrial times when the game was a mans escape from the coal mines on a Saturday. Newcastle United, known as the "Toon Army", have arguably the most passionate supporters in the country and to be at St James' Park with the crowd singing is to feel the heart of the city beating. This is a must do experience, never to be forgotten.