Moors covered in carpets of heather and a heritage coastline studded with fossils. The scenery in the North East is worthy of romantic Bronte sisters' novels and magical Harry Potter film sets. Starry nights sparkle over Northumberland National Park's clear skies, an astronomer's paradise. You'll always be looking up in York at the cathedral's epic stained glass and to medieval buildings that huddle over cobbled alleyways, or at Durham's World Heritage towers and turrets. Leap into the 21st century in Newcastle with its world-class music and arts venues overlooking the River Tyne criss-crossed with a family of impressive bridges.
North East England
Ride the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway
This exciting heritage steam railway runs through the picturesque Yorkshire countryside where the classic movie The Railway Children was filmed.
Location: Keighley, West Yorkshire
Marvel at prehistoric cliffs and caves
The magnificent coastline of South Tyneside tells a story that stretches far beyond the stunning aesthetics of the golden sands and rugged cliffs.
Location: Marsden, South Tyneside
Walk the Wall at Steel Rigg
Take a walk around Steel Rigg and Crag Lough to see how the Romans used the natural landscape to maximise the strength of the Empire's frontier.
Location: Steel Rigg, Northumberland
Walk through sand dunes to Bamburgh Castle
This seat of the former Kings of Northumbria tells a spellbinding tale from its awe-inspiring position on the edge of Northumberland’s coast.
Location: Bamburgh, Northumberland
Explore the Forge Valley
A walk through 165 million years of history.
Location: Forge Valley, North Yorkshire
Industry meets art at Salts Mill
Packed to its Victorian rafters with independent traders and the largest collection of David Hockney’s work.
Location: Bradford, West Yorkshire
Visit the largest Viking Festival in Europe
Immerse yourself in the gruesome world of the Vikings as the city of York celebrates its Norse past.
Location: York, North Yorkshire
Discover the village that fell into the sea
One dark night in 1664, while local people were attending a wake, the whole village of Runswick slipped into the sea…
Location: Runswick Bay, North Yorkshire
Ride the Whitby train from moor to sea
Delightful villages, dramatic views and gentle country walks – do it all by train from Whitby on a ride through the delightful Esk Valley.
Location: Whitby, Yorkshire
Pay homage to the written word in South Shields
Step inside The Word, National Centre for the Written Word, a state-of-the-art venue in South Shields.
Location: South Shields, South Tyneside
Enter the world of Anglo-Saxon Northumbria at Jarrow Hall
Discover the incredible story of Anglo-Saxon Northumbria and the extraordinary life of the Venerable Bede.
Location: Jarrow, South Tyneside, Tyne and Wear