We’ve lived in Germany for more than nine years. When the opportunity to go back – even for a weekend – presented itself, we jumped on it! Who doesn’t love a quaint alpine village full of half-timber buildings and biergartens on every corner? The bridge spanning water bubbling over worn stones, my husband singing “way UP yonder on the Chattahoochee!” Record scratch! Chattahoochee? Yep, the northern reaches of the Chattahoochee river flows right through this “German” town: Helen, Georgia. Even knowing I was still in GA, the illusion was almost complete except for the busboy at the Hofbrauhaus wearing his “guten Tag, y’all” t-shirt. I love it! And I love this town. Let me tell you about it.
The thing that is most charming about Helen is that the town went all in. It really committed to creating an alpine village. Pretty successfully, I might add. The town is full of typical Bavarian architecture, with beautifully painted Bavarian scenes on many buildings from the German restaurants and bakeries, to the chain hotels and restaurants.
It’s not just the way Helen appears, but the events that go on in the town that makes it feel like you’ve traveled to Deutschland. We went to Helen in October, in time for their annual Oktoberfest (which is held weekends in September and most days in October). The Festhalle had vendors selling bratwurst, authentic hats (complete with European sizing) and of course German beer. The band was fantastic and would lead the crowd in raising glasses and singing “Ein Prosit, ein prosit…” Live music was playing throughout the rest of the town & let me tell you, some seriously talented musicians were brought in.
Helen is full of festivals throughout the year. Some worth noting are the Chriskindlemarkt (late Nov-early Dec) where the entire town transforms into a winter wonderland, Fasching (think Mardi Gras) in February and the BavarianFest in May. To see the full calendar of Helen events, check out their website.
Now, full truth in lending: the town is fun, but its appearance won’t fool anyone for long despite the prevalence of lederhosen. Some of the obvious indicators include the standard American road signs. Some of the more subtle points include the roof lines are just a little too straight (real 300-year-old buildings tend to sag in places) and there are far more American flags flying than German ones. We feel there was a real missed opportunity in that the local Huddle House didn’t call itself Der Huddle Haus but there are probably trademark issues…. But the big tell is how the German town also does a side business in recognizing Sasquatch. (We’re still not sure what’s up with that.) The biggest difference between Helen’s fest and the traditional Oktoberfest in Germany, was the mostly American music played by the various bands, but we enjoyed the musical choices so we didn’t consider that a negative.
But Helen isn’t just about looking German, and it offers a variety of normal outdoor recreation. If you want to enjoy some typical American outdoor activities, visit the Helen Tubing & Water Park where you can rent intertubes and float down the Chattahoochee River. Other outdoor activities include horseback riding (there are several stables in the area), visiting the Sautee Nacoochee Indian Mound (burial site of a Cherokee chieftain), and visiting Unicoi State Park for biking, hiking, fishing, and birdwatching. If waterfalls are your thing, visit Anna Ruby Falls not far from Helen and which requires only a short hike.
For activities of a more relaxed nature, try visiting the Nacoochee Village Antique Mall or head to Habersham Winery, which is one of Georgia’s oldest wineries, for tastings. Charlemagne’s Kingdom is the perfect museum for train enthusiasts, featuring a fifty-foot German model railroad or simply park yourself by the riverside and “sit a spell.” Don’t forget shopping in Helen (not your typical souvenir shops, although there are souvenirs available) where you can find a new hat (always a good idea), buy some alligator jerky, sample local honey, or browse the authentic blue and white Delft pottery.
The food options are many in Helen, ranging from American burgers, through German baked goods, and everything in between. We chose the Hofbrauhaus Restaurant—G.I. Germany Pub. One of us, I won’t say who, wanted to eat there because it had the patches of the 7th Army and the United States Army in Europe on the sign, two of the most historic units in Europe, both of which one of us has served with. After a long wait, we finally got in for a pretty decent meal, although they had run out of schnitzel. If you visit Helen during Oktoberfest, learn from our mistake and go to dinner before 9pm and the restaurants will be less likely to be out of your favorite food.
Some items of note – although Helen is small, the traffic can be backed up on the two-lane highway to get into town, depending on when you arrive. On busy days you will need to park in a paid lot or walk from your hotel. The town is pretty easy to maneuver for our friends with limited mobility. There is a little something for everyone in Helen. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
