Seven places to visit before you graduate

There’s always somewhere new to visit in the Toon

2 years ago

To say our university experience has been disrupted is an understatement. If like me, you’ve reached your final year of university and have only spent half of it on campus, I’m sure you want to make the most of these last few months. I spent all of my first year, or what I can remember of it, in various bars and clubs so I’m certain you won’t need my help finding those.

Here’s a guide to everywhere you need to visit to make the most of Newcastle before you graduate. And don’t worry almost everything on this list is free or very easy to do on a budget.

Sunday Quayside Market

The Sunday market is back. If you don’t know, every Sunday cute little market stalls line the Quayside. Look at some local artwork or handmade clothing. Find some vintage photographs of Newcastle 50 years ago. Eat some mini donuts from the food truck or even try some homemade cupcakes. It’s adorable and you’ll love it.

The Coast

Newcastle is right by one of the most beautiful coastlines in the country. If you’re able to make a slightly longer metro trip, don’t just go to Tynemouth or Cullercoats, visit Marsden Bay. The cliffs are breathtaking and there are incredible rock formations in the sea.

The Baltic

This art gallery is amazing and better than that, it’s free entry. The building itself is worth seeing, it’s 138 feet tall, with a glass lift that goes all the way to the top, so even entering is fun. The exhibitions are consistently great and change all the time. It really is impressive that they manage to have the kind of artwork on display that they do without charging anyone to come and see it.

Here is a picture from the recent Ad Minoliti: Biosphere Plush exhibition.

Jesmond Dene Waterfall

You’ve seen it a million times on Instagram, but it really is worth the hype. The Jesmond waterfall is located in a fairy-tale setting, there are little arch stone bridges, an old ruin of a mill, and rocks you can sit on and just stare at the waterfall for hours.

This is all at the end of a great walk through Jesmond Dene, so it’s worth taking the time for. Whilst you’re there, you might as well get the classic photo in front of the waterfall.

The Central Arcade

You might have missed this, but there’s an old-fashioned breezeway right in the centre of town, full of antique-style shops to explore. It’s a little slice of the past and very aesthetic.

There are several other historic buildings nearby that are also fun to go look at, Grey Street has many memorable landmarks, some gorgeous Tudor buildings near the Quayside, and all the old staircases carved into the hill that are so long and sheltered they feel more like passages.

Day Trip to Edinburgh

Edinburgh is only a short train ride away and makes a great day trip. If you’re sick of the Newcastle nightlife and want to see what the Scottish scene is like it’s so easy to get there and back. There are plenty of galleries, museums, restaurants, and well-known tourist spots like Victoria Street.

Ouseburn Valley

This is a very pretty part of town to explore. Take a walk and just follow the canals. I know I said I wouldn’t recommend bars but there are a lot of great spots to stop off and day drink in.

There’s a ton of cool graffiti, smaller galleries, and ‘art installations’ that display cool and strange things, like small paintings, a garden full of signs, and a patch of doll heads and this piano.

Exam/dissertation season is almost over and if you manage to survive it’ll just be fun to see something outside of the library. Take these suggestions and use the last few months to make the most of this city and all it has to offer.

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