Newcastle upon Tyne is a large city that in the past was primarily one of the most important coal mining centers in Great Britain. Today, it is more and more often visited by tourists who appreciate the local museums and preserved medieval monuments.
In Roman times, a military camp was built on the site of what is now Newcastle. About 40 km from this place, Hadrian's Wall was built, which was to protect Roman Britain from the invasions of tribes from the north. Today, you can still see fragments of this building.
The town was founded in the 11th century, and a castle was erected on the site of the camp, which gave the center its name. Only part of its buildings have survived to this day, because most of the walls were pulled down during the construction of the railway line. The castle is surrounded by a small and compact old town with tenement houses from the 14th to 18th centuries. Its most important buildings include the building of the customs office and the town hall. There is also a Gothic cathedral of St. Nicholas.
The main attractions of Newcastle are the local museums. The most important of them is the Museum of Discoveries, where you can trace the history of inventions and the development of science and technology. The Center for Life, a modern facility combining the features of a museum and an educational center, is also very popular. It is focused primarily on interactive and independent discovering the world. Another interesting site is the Museum of the Great North: Hancock, which focuses on natural history as well as prehistory and ancient civilizations.
