Heritage Coastline
Some of the region's most spectacular beaches have a fine view of one of Northumbria's powerful castles - for example, Bamburgh and Dunstanburgh Castles are visible for miles along the Northumberland coast; bringing a whole new perspective to the idea of 'sandcastles'! Holiday cottages, cosy inns and small hotels make a great base for exploring the quiet, quite stunning Northumbrian coast. Long beaches make a great wildlife-watching-walk - like Druridge and its dunes; or Seal Sands with (yes, you've guessed it!) grey and common seals; or Marsden with its stacks, rockpools, kittiwakes and cormorants. Along the Durham coast, there's 11 miles of footpath by the shore, with information on the wildflowers and wildlife - and a sculpture trail.

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Beside The Seaside

And in complete contrast, the region has a nostalgic proper-old-fashioned-holiday feel. Our safe and gently-sloping beaches are highly bucket and spade compatible - easily accessible examples are Whitley Bay, South Shields and Seaton Carew. They're backed up by ice-cream sellers, occasional Punch and Judy shows and summer funfairs. Scattered along the coast there's rock-pooling, lighthouses to climb and boat trips for the intrepid. There are pastel-painted B&Bs, caravan and holiday parks, fish and chip cafes.... At Saltburn, there's even a proper Victorian pier, promenade and an 'inclined tramway', powered by water. It's seaside just like it used to be!

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Wilderness

Nowhere else in England will you glimpse wilderness or the textures of ancient landscapes. The Park's special qualities are a reflection of how the land has been used and managed by people over thousands of years. Its archaeology - from Hadrian's Wall World Heritage Site in the south to a fabulous wealth of prehistoric settlements in the Cheviot Hills in the north - is unsurpassed. Unique historic buildings, like the bastles, or fortified farmhouses, are a testament to the Northumberland's troubled border history. Many have been carefully restored in recent years by the National Park Authority and are now open for you to visit.

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Biodiversity

The National Park's biodiversity - the variety of life - makes it a very special place to be. The Park's rare species and habitats include the curlew with its haunting cries, the Border mires and the nationally threatened red squirrel. Today, hill farming of cattle and sheep is a major influence on the landscape of the National Park. The characteristic heather moors are the product of management, either for grouse or for sheep, carefully managed for grouse shooting.

Did you know that only Bath has more listed Georgian buildings than Newcastle? Or that Sunderland is at the seaside? Northumbria's cities are not always what people expect!

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Buzzing Newcastle

Take Newcastle-Gateshead ... its heart was designed by John Dobson at the start of the 19th century - it radiates out from Grey Street's fine pale-gold Georgian buildings. Its icon-bridges are now joined by the 'blinking eye' bridge, described as one of the best inventions of the twentieth century. It's the home of the latest major contemporary art centres, The BALTIC. And yet if you travel for twenty minutes out of town, you'll either be in open country - or on the beach!

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Sunderland And Durham

Or Sunderland ... it has one of very few national museums outside London - the National Glass Centre. It's just reinvented the Winter Garden idea, building a 21st century palm-house in a city-centre park; it has one of Britain's earliest Christian churches; and its University is a fashionable new hotspot for young film-makers. Durham was described by Bill Bryson as 'a perfect little city'. Its history shows in every cobble - it even used to be a principality! Its cathedral and castle are designated world heritage sites. And it's an international centre of learning, with one of Britain's leading universities.

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Middlesbrough

Or how about Middlesbrough, and its striking Victorian architecture? The Town Hall is Victorian high gothic; the library is first-rate arts and crafts; the quite eccentric Transporter Bridge is utterly unique. And its shops and wine bars? Absolutely fabulous! Northumbrian city life - the exciting unexpected!

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