Sitting on the banks of the River Tyne, Gateshead has fast emerged as one of the country's most exciting and developing locations. Home to the world famous Angel of the North, Gateshead is now recognised as a cultural capital of Britain and its long association as a world-class destination for sport has seen it host some of the biggest events in the sporting calendar.

Sport
Gateshead has played host to the Junior Great North Run with over 6,000 young people taking part in the event each year, the Tour of Britain which showcases elite cyclists from throughout Europe, the Aviva British Grand Prix international athletics which in 2010 incorporates the inaugural Diamond League, and many more. Gateshead International Stadium is also home to the North East's only professional rugby league team Gateshead Thunder and Gateshead Football Club. As well as world class events, Gateshead is proud of it's strong links with the local community and local sporting clubs throughout the borough. It is this heritage that helped Gateshead win the title 2010 European City of Sport.

The famous Gateshead International Stadium, which has seen the likes of Carl Lewis, Asafa Powell and Phillips Idowu compete, is currently undergoing a major transformation which will develop the site into a sports village. Plans will improve the existing sporting, spectator and media facilities, with the potential to add new uses including an Ice Arena, restaurants and cafes, training and teaching facilities and more.

Gateshead is also poised to become a major training venue for athletes competing at the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics. The next gold medal winning athletes could be making their preparations in Gateshead with the inclusion of Gateshead International Stadium and Gateshead Leisure Centre in the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Pre-Games Training Guide. Top athletes competing to win Olympic gold in athletics, badminton, basketball, boxing, fencing, judo, table tennis, taekwondo, weightlifting, and wrestling could be training in Gateshead.

Gateshead, in partnership with Newcastle upon Tyne, has also been named as a Host City in England's bid to host FIFA World Cup Football in 2018/2022.

Cultural Renaissance
Gateshead is fast becoming one of the biggest cultural quarters in the country capturing the imagination of the world with The Angel of the North - Britain's largest sculpture, The Gateshead Millennium Bridge - the world's first tilting bridge, BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art - the biggest gallery of its kind in the world and The Sage Gateshead - the regional music centre designed by Lord Foster.
Shopping
Gateshead is also home to Europe's largest shopping centre, the Metrocentre. The centre boasts several department stores including Debenhams, Marks & Spencer and House of Fraser and is stocked full of key designer brands and high street labels with new retailers arriving in the malls everyday.

New development, The Qube, features a 3D IMAX Odeon cinema as well as plenty of choice for eating out with new branches of Pizza Express, Nandos, Frankie & Benny's and Yo Sushi.

How to get here
Gateshead is easy to get to whether you're travelling by air, road, sea or rail. Once you're here the central area is easy to walk or cycle around, or simply jump on the quick and efficient Metro system or one of the many buses.

• By rail: Newcastle Central Station is right in the heart of Newcastle city centre.
• By air: Newcastle International Airport is served by many airlines providing direct links from top international and UK destinations, and is only 8 miles from the city centre.
• By sea: The North Shields International Ferry Terminal is the North of England's main sea link with Scandinavia and Northern Europe.
• By road: The A1(M) passes through NewcastleGateshead linking the area to London, the South, Scotland and major routes across the country

Where to stay?
From fantastically priced budget accommodation to the stunning views from Hilton NewcastleGateshead, there is a fantastic range of places to stay in Gateshead. For more information about accommodation in Gateshead, please visit: www.newcastlegateshead.com/Accommodation

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