Durham Cathedral, Bishop Auckland's Spanish Gallery and Beamish Living Museum are some of County Durham's top cultural attractions.
And there is hope that these, along with a year-long programme of arts, culture, sport, science and economics, can bring home the title of UK City of Culture 2025.
The official bid has been finalised and to celebrate its submission a giant inflatable artwork, created by local artist Steve Messam, kicks off a tour of the county starting at Durham Cathedral this morning.
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The programme includes a 12-month celebration of Durham's 1,300 year-history of space science, an international celebration of the bicentenary of the railways and a travelling fair that asks questions about the local economy.
The Lumiere festival will also be bigger than ever before, with the aim of creating a lasting legacy of jobs.
Should County Durham's bid, which aims to bring people and communities in the county together, be successful, it will be the first ever county to be named UK City of Culture.
Overall, it could attract more than 15m visitors to the region and help bring an additional visitor spend of £700m and supporting 1,800 jobs in the tourism sector.
Cllr Amanda Hopgood, Leader of Durham County Council, said: “It’s fantastic to be able to finally share our exciting plans for Durham 2025. County Durham has such a huge potential, and we are determined to bring together our extraordinary people, places and ideas to help transform not just the county, but the whole of the North East.
“This is a bid on behalf of the whole county. We want everyone who lives and works in County Durham to be a part of our journey and to reap the benefits of a successful bid. Our plans will involve every person, town and village in County Durham."
Tony Harrington, chair of Culture Durham, said: “A vibrant cultural offer can truly transform communities. Not only does it help to bring people together, but it also raises aspirations and helps to create long-lasting opportunities for communities to get involved with cultural activities.
“We know that we have so much to offer already here in County Durham. But we also have a unique opportunity, through the bid, to demonstrate how culture can help skill and employment levels to soar, businesses to grow and high streets to thrive. That is also something that so many other towns, cities and countries can also use for their own growth.”
Professor Karen O'Brien, Vice-Chancellor of Durham University, said: "Durham University is integral to the cultural vibrancy of the city and county. We are home to world-class museums and collections, our student music, theatre, sport and volunteering enriches our community life immensely, and we’re committed to sharing our learning and facilities to the benefit of the whole region.
“We think Durham would make an excellent UK City of Culture. We hope the judges agree and we look forward to being part of a rich and diverse programme in 2025.”
Though County Durham made it onto the final 8 of the list, the Borderlands partnership, which consisted of Northumberland, Cumbria, Carlisle City, Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders, missed out.
It is expected that the longlist will be whittled down further next month, with the overall winner being declared in May. The winner will take over from Coventry, UK City of Culture 2021, which has so far attracted more than £100m investment to support cultural projects.
