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s you drive into Gateshead it’s impossible to miss the Angel of the North. Antony Gormley’s steel sculpture dominates the horizon.

The angel’s wings are angled towards you in embrace, welcoming you into the cultural landscape of NewcastleGateshead.

At the centre of Tyneside’s resurgent art scene is the Baltic. Housed within a former flourmill on the south bank of the River Tyne in Gateshead, the Baltic has no permanent collection, opting instead for a rolling programme that guarantees fresh and provocative exhibitions.

Walking around is an exhilarating experience with both international and local artists taking the opportunity to push boundaries.

Foster's legacy

The Baltic also provides incredible views out over the Tyne River and Sir Norman Foster’s iconic music venue, the Sage Gateshead. If you want to savour these views then take a table at Baltic’s rooftop restaurant SIX, but be sure to save some space for popcorn.

To complete your day of chin stroking, head to the Tyneside Cinema in Newcastle and take in a cult classic or the best in world cinema. If you don’t know your Herzog from your Hitchcock then catch the latest blockbuster - the art deco interior seals that blissful fix of escapism.

Dixon Scott (that’s Ridley’s great uncle) designed the cinema back in 1937 on the premise that a film should be an event – at the Tyneside, it still is.