sightseeing
Northumberland has so much to offer. Castles, gardens, museums and the great outdoors all clamour for your time. No wonder so many people return time after time - one visit just isn't enough to cover everything. And, just when you think you've seen it all, something new pops up to prick your attention afresh, such as the splendid Alnwick Garden!

walking
Northumberland is perfect for walking holidays. The Northumberland National Park contains some of the best walking country in England. Rising from rocky crags topped by the remains of Hadrian's Wall to the Cheviot Hills on the Scottish border, this fascinating wilderness is ideal for the serious and casual walker alike.

historic buildings
Northumbria's castles are among the best to be found anywhere in England. Their settings are often glorious and their history is always fascinating. Evidence of even earlier times, when Northumbria marked the northern boundary of the Roman Empire, still remains in the form of Hadrian's Wall and several excavated forts, such as Housestead's and Vindolanda.

Representing the industrial age is Cragside, a Victorian mansion set in over 900 acres of gardens, woodland and lakes, and now in the care of The National Trust.

visitor attractions
Considering the rich tapestry that is Northumberland past and present, it is no surprise that there are so many fine museums. It may be a surprise, however, to learn that so many of these are not of the traditional exhibits-under-glass type, but are provoking, interactive reconstructions of life in other ages. Chief among these is the award-winning Beamish Open Air Museum, which recreates life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries on a vast 260 acre site. Other attractions worth visiting are George Stephenson's Birthplace Museum at Wylam and the Darlington Railway Centre and Museum.