travel: our quest to visit all 50 states: georgia: Downtown Helen, GA

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. Now celebrating its thirty-fifth year as a mountain community with a touch of Bavaria, 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. There are also plenty of American style steaks, seafood, deli sandwiches, hot dogs and hamburgers as well as homemade fudge, candies and funnel cakes. 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. Alpenfest offers entertainment for visitors during the Holiday season from Thanksgiving through December. Visitors can hike the many trails to waterfalls in the area, or sit beside a cozy fire and enjoy the winter weather in the mountains.
Downtown Helen, GA

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. Now celebrating its thirty-fifth year as a mountain community with a touch of Bavaria, 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. There are also plenty of American style steaks, seafood, deli sandwiches, hot dogs and hamburgers as well as homemade fudge, candies and funnel cakes. 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. Alpenfest offers entertainment for visitors during the Holiday season from Thanksgiving through December. Visitors can hike the many trails to waterfalls in the area, or sit beside a cozy fire and enjoy the winter weather in the mountains.