Fall is Perfect Time to Visit Helen

In the middle 1980s, Helen, Ga., lost its former glory in the timber industry, but soon transformed itself to become a bustling and unique tourist attraction. With its special Appalachia hillside-straddled location and 16^th century European design efforts, the town in White County was able to loosely replicate the many quaint villages that populate similar topographic regions of Germany, Austria and Switzerland in and around the famous Alps mountain range.

Helen is a great escape with quite many sights to be seen. Virtually every residential and commercial building – from small family homes, to cabins to large office parks – is designed to look exactly like traditional German homes from centuries back. Even the many shops, which sell everything from hand-crafted quilts to classic beer steins, look and feel like you stepped back in time.

 When you’re hungry, there are quite a variety of fine European and American restaurants in Helen also, including Hofbrau Haus, Nacoochee Grill, The Vines Restaurant and even the Troll Tavern, located right on the river under a bridge.

Because the area has such a natural setting, it’s quite compatible for many activities including hiking, biking, swimming, fishing, and camping. Helen’s museums, waterfalls, and amusement parks are additional attractions that are guaranteed to entertain the whole family. 

Need a place to stay while in Helen? The town offers several unique vacation rentals, popular chain hotels, as well as the Bavaraian-styled Helen’s Castle, which is in the heart of the Helen where all of the excitement is.