The Durham Dales - a tranquil and distinctive mix of high moorland, dramatic dales, stone built villages, a tapestry of stone walls and a variety of characterful public houses and picture-postcard villages. A recognised Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Dales form a perfect backdrop to some celebrated and cherished attractions - from mining heritage at Killhope to the French Chateau-inspired opulence of the Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle.
This is the cosmopolitan and transport-hub of the region where group accommodation is plentiful for all price ranges and audiences. Here you'll find contemporary art and architecture, historic buildings and iconic monuments and discover the UK's biggest public art programme. From Anthony Gormley's spectacular Angel of the North, the famous river bridges and the glazed curves of the Sir Norman Foster designed Sage Gateshead to air festivals in Sunderland and international exhibitions at The BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, the Biscuit Factory in Newcastle or in the new Theatre-in-the-Round and artist studios and galleries in the Lower Ouseburn area of Newcastle.
Sparkling coastlines, hills, craggy peaks, sweeping forests, castles and seaside villages, Northumberland is a favourite for lovers of nature and the outdoors. In Berwick upon Tweed you can walk the old Elizabethan Walls or learn more about the town in the footsteps of artist LS Lowry on the "Lowry" trail.
With George Stephenson's "Locomotion No 1" at the Darlington Railway Centre and the National Railway Museum at Shildon, Tees Valley is real railway country.