A Taste of Bavaria

Helen, Georgia is a replica of a Bavarian alpine town, in the Appalachians instead of the Alps.

HELEN, GEORGIA, USA

Helen, Georgia nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains on the Chattahoochee River, is a re-creation of an alpine village complete with cobblestone alleys and old-world towers. This Northeast Georgia village has a rich history linked to the Cherokee Indians and Indian burial mounds as well as early settlers who arrived to mine for gold and cut virgin timber for a thriving lumber industry in the early 1900ís.

Helen boasts a wide array of attractions. The area has more than 200 specialty and import shops offer everything from candle making to cuckoo clocks. Restaurant options range from a German meal of schnitzel, sauerbraten, rouladen or wurst with an imported beer or wine to a traditional southern country meal of grits, country ham, home made biscuits and gravy.

Outdoor lovers can enjoy river tubing, horseback riding, golf, canoeing, fishing, mountain biking, hiking and more. Festivals and special events include a hot air balloon race, Winefest, Volksmarch, Oktoberfest and Christmas parades, Fourth of July fireworks, and Bavarian Nights of Summer. From mid-September through October, Helen hosts the longest Oktoberfest in the South.