Trip to the Bavarian Town of Helen in Georgia
♦ Routes (free): Detailed travel itineraries in USA
Additional articles about the area:
♦ Trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains
♦ Trip to Great Smoky Mountains National Park
♦ The resort towns of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg adjacent to the Smoky Mountains
♦ Trips to the city of Asheville and its surroundings located in the Blue Ridge Mountains
♦ The traveler's guide to Atlanta in the southern Blue Ridge Mountains
Helen is a small town in the state of Georgia, with about 450 residents in total, but it is third among the most visited cities in Georgia after Atlanta and Savannah, and rightly so!
A magical and beautiful Bavarian town with unique buildings and atmosphere, full of sweet little shops, galleries, typical German restaurants, wineries and breweries, gardens and flowers, all decorated and designed as if they came out of the Brothers Grimm fairy tales.
It has a small and compact center that is fun and convenient to explore on foot or by horse-drawn carriage, with paved sidewalks surrounded by green nature. The Chattahoochee River flows through the center of town. There is no place like it in the United States that concentrates so much charm in such a small area (about 5.4 sq. km): visitors forget they are in the United States and think they are in a typical Alpine town.
Several famous German chefs have moved to Helen and opened authentic restaurants with food the likes of which you will find only in Germany.
Helen is also known for its many festivals, especially Oktoberfest, which is no less impressive than Munich's and lasts from mid-September to early November, and its hot air balloon festival Helen to the Atlantic Balloon Race and Festival held annually in early June.
It is also particularly rewarding to be there during American holidays with fireworks celebrations and parades on July 4th, lovely pumpkin decorations for Halloween, and a Christmas market, parade, and charming light decorations specially invested for Christmas.
Even the public restrooms look cute here:
Other popular events are the wine festival, and "the Bavarian Nights of Summer" festival. In winter, a charming art fair named Winterfest Art Tour is held.
In the town and the surrounding nature of the Appalachian Mountains, there is also plenty of action and adventure activities, from river tubing,
through ziplining and an alpine coaster, to fishing tours and horseback riding.
Helen is also a starting point for nature trips to waterfalls, forests, and lakes in the nature parks adjacent to the town.
Less than a 10-minute drive east of Helen, it is worth visiting another small town named SAUTEE NACOOCHEE, known for its culture and arts center.
The first to live in the area were Cherokee Indians. The first Europeans arrived in the area during the Gold Rush in the early 20th century.
Afterward, lumber became the influential economic factor in the valley with the construction of a large sawmill. During this period, many Germans who worked in the timber industry arrived. Helen Valley actually received its name in 1913 from a railroad surveyor who named the place after his daughter, Helen. The timber company continued sawmill activities until the 1930s until all the wood was cut. Again, the settlers left when the timber company and sawmill ceased operations. In the 1960s, nothing remained in the area except a few concrete buildings. Only in 1969 was it decided by local businessmen and visionaries to rehabilitate the desolate main street. They restored the houses and turned them into a replica of a Bavarian town in memory of the first settlers in the area.
The official tourism website of Helen has, in addition to extensive information about the town, its attractions, restaurants, and shops, many discount coupons.
Helen is a small town in northeastern Georgia, 140 km from downtown Atlanta, about an hour and a half drive to the northeast. It can serve as a recommended day trip destination from Atlanta or as a destination in itself for several days.
The nearest international airport is Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, which is one of the largest and busiest airports in the USA.
The most convenient way to reach it is, of course, by rental car.
It can also serve as a day trip on the way from Asheville, North Carolina, or from the
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, as well as from a trip in the
Blue Ridge Mountains to Atlanta.
It is particularly recommended to visit Helen from late March to early June and from early September to early November when the weather is most comfortable.
Spring maximum temperatures (March to May) range from 14 to 29 degrees Celsius (higher temperatures obviously in May and lower in March). The average minimum temperature ranges from 5 to 13.5 degrees Celsius. Significant rain falls during this period between 6-8 days per month.
In summer (June to August), maximum temperatures range between 29-31 degrees Celsius (July is the hottest month). The minimum temperature in this season ranges between 17-19 degrees.
Significant rain falls in summer between 7-8 days per month.
In autumn (September to November), maximum temperatures range between 29 and 14.5 degrees (lower obviously in November). The average minimum temperature is between 16 degrees Celsius in September and only 5 degrees in November.
The highest humidity in Helen is in September, about 63%. Significant rain falls during this period between 5-6 days per month.
In winter (December to February), the average maximum temperature ranges between 14 and 10 degrees Celsius. The average minimum temperature is 0-3 degrees (with January being the coldest month). Significant rain and sometimes snow fall about 7-10 days a year. February is the month with the lowest relative humidity in Helen: about 48% on average.
Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Helen – A modern 3-star hotel by Marriott. In a central location on Helen's main street. Opened in 2019. Price includes breakfast. The hotel has an indoor pool and gym. Free internet and parking.
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Helen, an IHG Hotel – A recommended hotel by Holiday Inn on Helen's main street. The hotel features a gym and spacious rooms. Price includes breakfast. Free internet and parking.
Black Forest Vacation Rentals – A one-bedroom vacation cabin with a living room near the forest. The cabin has a large jacuzzi on the porch and a spa bath. Also, there is a 3-bedroom villa with a spa bath in the town center. Both apartments are well-equipped with a kitchenette. Free internet and parking.
The main attraction in Helen is its main street, named Main St., and along its entire length, all the restaurants, beer halls, galleries, and charming shops located in fancy and decorated Bavarian houses are concentrated.
You park in one of the paid parking lots along the street and simply wander between the typical buildings surrounded by vegetation, walk over the bridges over the river, visit the beautiful shops and the lovely park at the end of the street. Shops that are recommended to enter, even if you don't really plan on shopping, are:
A charming candy store in the center of town: Hansel And Gretel Candy Kitchen
A glass products shop that also includes blowing demonstrations: The Glassblowing Shop
A wooden toy shop named: Tim’s Wooden Toys
A pottery shop named: The Willows Pottery
A shop for buying and tasting olive oil: Alpine Olive Tree
A stone and gold shop: Outpost Gold and Gem where you can also "mine gold and look for precious stones." A favorite activity for children.
A large wine shop with wine tastings from the largest winery in the area: Habersham Vineyards & Winery
The most recommended bakery in town: Hofer's Bakery and Cafe. This is actually a pastry shop with a cafe and beer gardens.
Outside the town, there is a particularly recommended attraction:
Located about fifteen minutes south of Helen in the town of Cleveland. In the middle of fields on a hill surrounded by grass stands a huge and impressive building entirely dedicated to Cabbage Patch Kids dolls, which were the best-selling dolls in the world of all time in the 1990s.
There is a massive display of Cabbage Patch Kids dolls of all colors and types with a large doll shop.
In addition to the dolls and all their accessories, there is also a large and impressive display of Christmas trees. A photogenic, nostalgic place loved by children and children at heart (like me).
Helen & Back Food Tours
The company has several food and cocktail tours. The most popular tour of all: Taste of Germany. The tour lasts about three and a half hours and includes tastings at 5-6 of Helen's leading restaurants.
Helen is adjacent to the Chattahoochee National Forest and Unicoi State Park, which is full of lakes and waterfalls. A large lake about 35 minutes' drive north of it is Lake Burton.
The most popular hiking trail located in Unicoi State Park is: Anna Ruby Falls, whose starting point is about fifteen minutes north of Helen. This is a paved and accessible 0.9-mile trail suitable for families that reaches a double waterfall.
Helen is a wonderful place for action lovers as well. The most popular activity is river tubing. There are several companies specializing in this in the town. The best of them all:
Helen Tubing
The activity is suitable for the whole family (from age three) and takes place from late May (after Memorial Day weekend) until early September (until Labor Day weekend). The company also operates Helen's cute little water park on the same dates.
In addition, there are two excellent sites near the town for "ziplining" which also include a challenging rope course:
Nacoochee Adventures
and
Screaming Eagle Adventures
(in Unicoi State Park adjacent to Helen).
In the town center, there is a recommended alpine coaster Georgia Mountain Coaster where you climb to the top of a hill and slide quickly along a winding track.
Location and Getting There:
Weather and Best Time to Visit Helen:
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Recommended Accommodations in Helen:
Attractions and Tours in Helen:
BabyLand General Hospital – "Hospital" for Cabbage Patch Kids dolls
A recommended Food Tour in Helen
Nature Trips in and around Helen:
Action and Active Recreation in Helen: