Newcastle holds a special place in my heart. Back when I first moved to London, it was the first city I ever visited elsewhere in the UK. And after living with a Geordie, visiting her at home, and then staying with Sam when the RSC was in Newcastle, I’ve had the joy to spend extensive periods of time there even when living down south. But since we’re in Yorkshire now, it’s just a hop, skip and a jump away.
I didn’t manage to get over to Newcastle this winter, so the last time I was in “The Toon” was in the autumn when I ran the Great North Run. (Which is another great thing to visit Newcastle for!)
With the River Tyne separating them, Newcastle and Gateshead join together to create a really interesting and vibrant place to go for a weekend break. There’s always so much going on in the area and everyone has always been so friendly and helpful! Plus, you have a great combination of city and coast, if you plan a weekend break in Newcastle Gateshead.
(And if you want even more ideas than the ones that I’m about to mention, the NewcastleGateshead website is a great reference for all things. From recommendations, to whats on, to getting maps of the area).
Eat:
For great coffee in the centre of town visit Pink Lane Coffee. They have great coffee and pastries and are super conveniently placed next to the train station in Newcastle. They’ve also been featured in Conde Nast traveler lately so they are definitely worth visiting to see if the hype is true (it is).
For insanely decadent, over-the-top burgers, you have to go to local favourite Fat Hippo (which offer vegan and vegetarian burgers too). And anytime you hear that Barrio Comida is doing a pop-up, you need to rush there straight away. It’s one of the only places that I’ve had really good tacos at since leaving New Mexico.
And if you want dinner with a view, then it doesn’t get any better than eating at Six, the rooftop restaurant located on top of the Baltic. And it’s a chain but I can’t help but recommend The Botanist for cocktails. Readers of Rhyme & Ribbons will know that I find their York location very hard to resist!
See/Do:
What I’m definitely going to try to be back and ensure that I see is the Great Exhibition of the North. It is 80 days of live performances, exhibitions, inventions and art starting on the 22 of June. I’m particularly keen on trying to attend some of the design | innovate | craft workshops at the Biscuit Factory. (Find out more about Get North here).
I also recommend walking along the Gateshead Millennium Bridge. (It’s especially beautiful at night). I don’t watch or follow sports so I can’t personally recommend seeing a game whilst in Newcastle, but many, many people would. (Although not Sam as he is a Sunderland supporter.) You also need to spot the Angel of the North. It’s an absolute must.
I think the BALTIC Centre of Contemporary Arts is a “must” on any weekend break recommendation list. I was lucky enough to be able to catch the Turner Prize there one year. The building itself is stunning and I love the parts of the old flour mill that they kept in the renovation. (It’s also one of the biggest galleries of its kind in the world, which is a pretty good claim to fame!) The Discovery Museum is a great thing to do on a rainy day (and it’s free!). It focuses on the city’s maritime past, science and technology.
Saltwell Park is a beautiful Victorian garden that’s especially lovely in the spring and summer and the accompanying mansion house is very instagram worthy. There are also lots of lovely English Heritage properties in the area, though I’m particularly attached to Tynemouth Priory. I’ve never been to the Beamish Museum (a living, working history museum – like Plimouth Plantation in America) but I know that I need to visit as it sounds right up my alley and I’m sure I’d love it.
Stay:
I’ve been lucky enough to almost always stay with friends when visiting Newcastle, but I still have few recommendations. (And as a huge side note: if you’re running the Great North Run in 2018 book your hotel now. Today. Otherwise they will all be full. In fact, they are probably all full already. People tend to book them as soon as their places are confirmed. Sam and I left it stressfully last minute last year!)
I’ve heard great things about The Vermont Hotel (and it always seems to be a really reasonable price!), as well as Hotel Indigo Newcastle, Grey Street Hotel and Motel One Newcastle.
Transport:
Having a car in our lives is a relatively recent addition, so I’ve never been on a weekend break to Newcastle with one (though we did drive up for the Great North Run, got our GPS confused and ended up having to go through the Tyne Tunnel and pay the toll). With the Metro, the train and buses, I never felt like we needed a car in Newcastle.
What are your favourite things to do in Newcastle? Any recommendations that I’ve missed?
If you liked this post, you might also enjoy:
Top 10 things to do in Newcastle
Staycations in the UK
Walking along the Northern Coast
Tynemouth Castle and Priory
***This post was in collaboration with NewcastleGateshead, but all opinions are forever my own.***
