Located on England's northeast coast, NewcastleGateshead is the most northerly conurbation of any size before the short hop over the border into Scotland. Whilst the modern day city beats with a young-spirited verve, the region has a rich history stretching back 2,000 years.

It first came into being as a strategic defence point of the Roman Empire and it was through Newcastle that the Romans built Hadrian's Wall which marked the northernmost boundary of Roman Britain; a large section of the original wall can be viewed at Segedunum Museum (tel: (0191) 236 9347; website: www.twmuseums.org.uk/segedunum) at Wallsend.

But it was with the arrival of the Normans and the building of the New Castle in 1080 that the region really began to grow. Buoyed by a booming coal industry, it developed into a thriving metropolis and visitors can't fail to be impressed by the stunning 19th- and 20th-century architecture that characterises much of the city centre.

NewcastleGateshead Tourist Information Centre
Central Arcade, Market Street

Guildhall Visitor Information Centre
Near the Tyne bridge, Quayside
Tel: (0191) 277 8000.
Website: www.newcastlegateshead.com

Gateshead Visitor Centre, St Mary's Church, Oakwellgate
Tel: (0191) 478 4222.
Website: www.gateshead.gov.uk/tourism/furtinfo.htm

Gateshead Central Library, Prince Consort Road
Tel: (0191) 433 8420;
Website: as above.

As part of a citywide initiative, many of the museums and galleries have free admission so there are no tourist discount passes currently available.