Hello, my fellow travelers! A few weeks ago, our road trip took us to a place that has been on my radar for quite a few months: Helen, GA.
What intrigued me about this little mountain town was not actually the activities (although there are plenty) but the aesthetic! You see, what makes Helen, GA, so incredibly unique is that the entire town is built in Bavarian style!
I stumbled upon Helen while researching American towns that look like European cities. Like many of you, I was disappointed to find my European dreams dashed by the coronavirus, so I decided to find some alternative options. My research led me to Helen, GA, and Charleston, SC, to get a little taste of Europe right here in America!
Now, I will preface this by saying that Helen is not quite the immersive European experience I initially expected. Everywhere you turn, you’ll find charming gingerbread work, brightly-colored buildings, authentic cuisine, and both imported and handcrafted German-style souvenirs. But you’ll also hear the sounds of live country music intermingling with German tunes, classic mountain retreat activities, and plenty of very American tourists.
Not knowing what to expect, I found this contrast to be a bit jarring at first, but I quickly grew used to the unique atmosphere of this fun mountain town.
We packed a full day into our Helen, GA adventure, and I’ve pared it down for you to the essential activities for any visit. Keeping true to the town’s unique personality, my list of top things to do in Helen, GA, includes both the American and Bavarian elements that make it such a fun and eclectic place.
Read my full post on the top 7 things to do on your visit, and be sure to check out my YouTube Video for fun additional footage of our experience!
Top 7 Things to Do in Helen, GA
The Georgia Mountain Coaster
The mountain coaster trend is gaining popularity just about as fast as their carts gain downhill momentum!
If you’ve never heard of a mountain coaster (I hadn’t), it’s essentially a combination of roller coaster tracks and a modified go-kart. What makes these so exciting is that the carts are completely open-sided, and you get to control the speed at which you hurtle down the mountain! Removing the standard roller coaster restraints adds an extra element of adrenaline, even though no mechanical features are pushing your cart to breathtaking speeds. Just speeding freely down the side of the mountain gives you quite a rush!
The Georgia Mountain Coaster is the first alpine coaster in Georgia, and it lived up to our expectations quite well, with speeds up to 28 mph! Not to mention the fantastic views of both the mountain and Helen, GA, we got from the top!
We tried my new action camera out for the first time during this ride, and you can check out the footage in this video. (FYI: I have since gotten a chest harness to make future videos more stable.) 🙂
Tubing Down the Chattahoochee
On a hot Georgia day, nothing beats a lazy tube ride on the river. Helen is quite a popular tubing spot, with three local businesses offering excursions to visitors.
One of the fun surprises about tubing in Helen is that the Chattahoochee River actually goes straight through the middle of town! So you can get a lazy river view of the Bavarian scenery, go under a bridge or two, and wave at other tourists while you float!
Try the Bavarian Cuisine
With its country mountain elements, Helen has quite an interesting mix of local fare to choose from. However, as they say, “When in a Bavarian-style American town–eat the Bavarian-American food!”
We actually hit two restaurants while we were in town to try a couple of different things: Muller’s Famous Fried Cheese Cafe and The Heidelberg.
I have to say, the Heidelberg blew me away with the best soft pretzel I have had in my entire life (and I’ve had a lot of soft pretzels). It’s located in this fanciful building at the back of White Horse Square and serves up a variety of German dishes.
We’d stuffed ourselves with homemade ice cream and chocolate, so we only got the pretzel, but it made me want to try everything on their menu.
Charlemagne’s Kingdom
Helen features a rather intriguing addition to its eclectic local attractions: a giant model alpine railroad kingdom.
Locals Willi and Judi Lindhorst created this fascinating and incredibly detailed world featuring various terrain and architecture from Germany. Their creation fills a 50-foot exhibit and includes elements on two stories! Willi Lindhorst can trace his lineage all the way back to the German Emporer Charlemagne, and thus his own small kingdom is aptly named.
Details are packed into every nook of this 50-foot model railroad exhibit, including the 22-foot Matterhorn that you can walk through on the second story! Every few feet, an entire town has been lovingly recreated with details down to the flowers and people, plus lights and even moving parts! And everywhere you look, model trains are zipping about from town to town.
Be sure to keep your eye out for surprises, too, like aliens crashing into towns and dragons hiding on the mountain!
Shop for Unique Souvenirs
With the combination of Germany meets American mountain town comes a wide variety of fun and unique souvenirs! You’ll certainly see plenty of standard tourist memorabilia like t-shirts, backpacks, etc. But you’ll also find some cool items that you might not see anywhere else.
Some shops are dedicated to European and German wares, others sell handcrafted soaps and art, and one shop even makes its own wooden toys to sell! (Major Pinocchio vibes there!)
You’ll also have plenty of shops selling mountain/cabin-themed decorations and clothing.
One of our favorite shops was the Glassblowing Shop on Main Street. We weren’t allowed to film this part, but they actually had a live demonstration going on while we were there! It was incredible to see him working with the glass and creating some of the items we could see on display throughout the store.
Visit Hansel & Gretel’s Candy Kitchen
No trip to Helen would be complete without a stop by the famous Hansel & Gretel Candy Kitchen.
There are actually two locations in Helen, GA, where you can get your fill of Hansel & Gretel’s sugary goodness.
The main store is located on Main Street and features a vast selection of delectable goodies ranging from fudge and truffles to chocolate-covered apples, cookies, and candies. After stocking up and devouring quite the chocolate supply, I can highly recommend the truffles and fudge.
But if you really want to dive into the candy-making process, head over to the factory at 8078 S. Main St. to watch them at work!
Take in the Unique Helen, GA, Scenery
Everywhere you turn in Helen, GA, there’s something new to see and do. All the bridges and shops look like they were whisked right out of Germany, while the Chattahoochee River and the mountains off in the distance provide the perfect backdrop for this ornate setting.
Additionally, the town has a number of little parks and plazas scattered around that are absolutely picturesque.
We especially loved this park at the end of town, complete with a gazebo and waterfalls!
Closing Thoughts on Helen, GA
If you’re looking to escape from “America” for a little bit this year, you should consider a trip to Helen, GA! Its whimsical setting is definitely a break from the status quo American destination, and it’s a great spot if you love mountain scenery as well.
You’ll find plenty of fun activities to keep you busy, and this unique setting is just such a treat to take in!
I hope you’ll get a chance to experience it someday soon!
If you have any questions or want to share your favorite experience in Helen, please comment down below!
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Happy travels!
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Looks awesome !! Will definitely be adding this to my list!!
Wonderful!
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