A weekend guide to Historical Durham

Following on from my review of Hotel Indigo Durham I thought I would put together a little weekend guide to the beautiful and historical town of Durham as we had such a fantastic time and I was really surprised at how much there was to see and do and all very accessible by walking making it a great weekend destination.

Firstly Durham is well connected by rail and road and we arrived into Durham by train from Cardiff and with it being a small station you don't have to pull luggage very far, in fact within about 2 minutes we were into a taxi and on our way. Yes you can walk down into the town but with the station on quite a steep hill we decided to take the easy route to the hotel via taxi (only cost £4). As Durham isn't the biggest city is the perfect place for a weekend break so here are a few ideas of what to do if your planning on visiting.

What to See

1. Durham Cathedral

The UNESCO world heritage sight that is Durham Cathedral simply cannot be left out, even if you opt not to explore inside you have to at least walk up to the Palace green to take it all in and have a walk around the beautiful gardens surrounding the Cathedral. If you do want to explore inside which I recommend because it's such an architectural feat of a building then opting for a guided tour is a good idea as you get a far better insight into the history and it only costs £5 for an hour long tour, you can also pair this up with the Open Treasures exhibition which I found fascinating. Also if your a Harry Potter fan than visiting the Cathedral is a must as part of the film was shot here.

2. Durham Castle

Unfortunately over the weekend we were in Durham the castle was being used for a private event but we still managed to walk up to the gates and have a little sneak peak. The castle however usually is open to the general public through guided tours as the building is still in use. The castle also shares the designated UNESCO World Heritage Site with the Cathedral only a minute away across the Palace green

3. River Cruise on The Weir

During out stay one of the highlights was taking The Prince Bishops River Cruise on the River Weir. It's such a relaxing way to see the city from a different perspective and the one-hour cruise also provides some great narration as well as views of the Cathedral, Castle and Bridges. The cruise only costs £8 and has a sundeck and bar on board and if your only going to be in Durham for one day I recommend you do this.

Where to Eat

1. The Flat White Kitchen

If your looking for that hit of artisan coffee brewed by a bearded hipster than The Flat White Kitchen is the perfect place to grab some brunch or coffee and cake before heading out and exploring the city more. The laid back atmosphere and cosy interior make this independent coffee shop the perfect haven when you have been walking for a few hours.

2.  Garden Gate Cafe at Crook Hall

If you feel like talking a walk across the city and just outside of the busy centre and fancy a garden cream tea in beautiful surroundings that I really recommend The Garden Gate Cafe. There is a fantastic sun terrace which is dog friendly and we were lucky the sun was out and we could enjoy eating al fresco. The also have a delicious selection of home made cake and quiches.

3. Tapas Factory, Elvet Bridge

If your looking for Authentic Spanish Tapas then this place is a must, run by two Spanish brothers this place offers up some really authentic tapas with plenty of meat and vegetarian options. It has a nice laid back atmosphere and is a great spot for have a nice social evening meal over a glass of wine.

4. Tin Of Sardines Gin Bar

If you are a fan of Gin and lets be honest who isn't then you need to check out the Tin of Sardines, but beware you may have to wait to get a seat as this is one of the smallest bars you will ever visit but that doesn't mean it doesn't have a lot to offer with over 200 gins to choose from. We managed to get a seat outside after our meal at The Tapas Factory (which is right next door).

5. Milbank Arms

If you have fancy exploring further afield and heading out of Durham for a few hours and are looking for the best Sunday lunch in County Durham, then Milbank Arms serves up some delicious locally sourced food in a stunning setting and they also offer accommodation if you wanted to combine your break between the chic city of Durham and time spent in the Yorkshire Dales.

Where to Stay

We stayed at Hotel Indigo Durham which is housed in a listed building and is very stylish and chic but not pretentious at all and I highly recommend you consider it if your visiting as we couldn't fault our stay. It also ended up being a fantastic base for us to explore what was on offer in Durham as it was only a few minutes walk from the centre. I have written a full review about the hotel here. There are of course plenty of other places to stay I would say find somewhere that allows you to walk everywhere as Durham isn't that big and it's an easy city to explore over a weekend.

We really enjoyed our time exploring this Northern Gem and really want to visit this part of the world more because there is still so much we haven't seen. If you want a little bit more inspiration then do check out my vlog from our trip.