Helen is a small town, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia state. While you might expect this town to be dotted with the rustic log cabins and farmhouses that are typically associated with Appalachia, you’ll find something TOTALLY different—a Bavarian-themed town, complete with bierhalls and alpine architecture.
So if you want to explore this charming town for yourself, here are 12 incredible things to do in Helen, Georgia, a little slice of Bavaria in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
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What is Helen, Georgia?
Before we dive in, you might be asking yourself “Why the heck is there a Bavarian themed village in northern Georgia?”
And I’m so happy you asked!
The area around Helen was settled by Europeans in the early 1800s, first due to its gold mining opportunities and then for its logging. By the 1950s, the logging industry had seriously declined, bringing the local economy down with it.
By the late 1960s, some local business owners put their heads together and decided that reinventing the town as a Bavarian village may increase tourism and, in turn, help bolster the economy. And their kooky idea was right—Helen is now the third most popular destination in Georgia, attracting a whopping three MILLION visitors per year.
How to get to Helen, Georgia
Helen is conveniently located about one and a half hours north of Atlanta, Georgia, which also happens to be home to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the busiest airport in the world!
There isn’t really any public transportation that you can take to get to Helen from Atlanta, so your best bet is to get a rental car, which will also help you explore around the town itself.
Alternatively, if you don’t want to get a rental car, there are a handful of tours that will take you from Atlanta to Helen, like this all day tour that also stops at three wineries in Northern Georgia, in addition to plenty of time to explore our favorite Bavarian town.
Things to do in Helen, Georgia
1. Explore the downtown area
Obviously, one of the best things to do in Helen is to simply walk around its downtown area, marveling at its alpine style buildings and perusing its shops.
In full transparency, Helen is VERY touristy and the shops lining its streets definitely reflect that vibe, with stores hawking homemade candy, Bigfoot apparel, and novelty shot glasses. It’s still fun to explore if you go in with that expectation!
Some of my favorite shops are:
- Hansel & Gretel Candy Kitchen, for a massive selection of sweets, ranging from candied apples to chocolate covered Oreos and comically enormous slabs of fudge. Be sure to peek in the windows in the side room, where you can usually see the workers making their sugary concoctions
- The Wildewood Shop, an open air store that has a huge selection of locally made handicrafts, jewelry, and other quality souvenirs that you actually won’t regret buying in a few months
- The Mason Jar Shoppe, which, true to its name, primarily sells cute treats in mason jars, like peach moonshine jelly, cocktail kits, and homemade salsas, in addition to a variety of other fun home goods, like handmade mugs and quirky sculptures made out of hollowed out gourds.
You definitely don’t need a guide to mosey around Helen, but, if you’re interested in learning more about its history from a local and finding some hidden gems along the way, you can also opt to take a walking tour of town, like this option.
Insider tip: If you have mobility challenges or are traveling with a train-obsessed kiddo, a great way to explore is aboard the Fun Train, a little steam train-esque tram that drives around the heart of downtown Helen.
2. Try German food
As you might imagine, some of Helen’s restaurateurs have leaned into the Bavarian theme and dish up German classics, like bratwursts, schnitzels, red cabbage, and, of course, pretzels.
Here are some restaurants with German food to check out:
- Hofbrauhaus Restaurant, which serves up traditional German fare with generous portions AND arguably has the best pretzel in Helen
- Cafe International, a more casual joint, right along the Chattahoochee River, that doesn’t specialize in German food, but DOES offer bratwursts, smothered with sauerkraut (including those of the vegetarian variety!) and a wide beer selection
- Bodensee, which offers “Old World German” dishes (thanks to its owner who actually lived in Bavaria for several years) with a fun bierhall-esque outdoor area
It’s worth noting that businesses have seemed to have taken note of Helen’s popularity with visitors and, accordingly, prices can be a bit steep (my eyes watered a bit at a popular bierhall who charged $17 for a giant pretzel). So just be prepared for a tiny bit of sticker shock, especially at restaurants that are directly in Helen’s downtown area.
3. Try some craft beer
Helen itself actually doesn’t have any breweries, but the nearby town of Cleveland is home to NoFo Brew Co., which has three locations across northern Georgia. You can expect a robust lineup of beers, ranging from classics, like IPAs and Czech pilsner, and fun events, like a weekly musical bingo.
If you’re not in the mood for straying from the downtown Helen area, Chatt. Street Tap Room has 24 beers on tap, wine slushies, and very friendly staff.
4. Ride the alpine coaster
One of the best things to do in Helen is also one of the most unique things to do in Georgia—ride the ONLY alpine coaster in the entire state, Georgia Mountain Coaster!
Alpine coasters are cool because, unlike normal roller coasters, the rider can actually manually control the speed that you’re going, using the hand brakes. So if you’re a thrill seeker, you can zoom down the mountain (you can seriously go SO fast!) or if you’re more of a gentle soul, you can take it nice and slow.
Plus, it’s fun for the whole family—visitors, as young as three years old, can ride the coaster with a guardian, so long as they’re at least 38 inches tall.
The views from the coaster are great, plus there’s some nice perks, like a half off your second ride or a FREE second ride on your birthday!
5. Attend a festival
Helen on any ol’ day is plenty cute, but when one of its annual festivals are going on? It’s straight up ADORABLE.
For example, Oktoberfest, which is actually the longest running celebration of its kind in the U.S., runs from the beginning of September to the beginning of November. During Oktoberfest, you can expect a kickoff parade, live music, lots of German food and beer, adults running around in lederhosen, and general merriment.
Alternatively, Helen goes ALL out for Christmas, with tens of thousands of lights twinkling from the rafters of its buildings and cheery holiday music piped through its streets. During the holiday season, there’s a Christkindlmarkt to pick up handmade ornaments, mittens, and other gifts; a Christmas parade; and old time-y characters caroling and telling Christmas tales around the stunning Victorian mansion, with its halls thoroughly decked, at Hardman Farm.
You can check all of Helen’s events here.
6. Float down the Chattahoochee River
One of the most fun things to do in Helen during the warmer months (typically Memorial to Labor Day) is to float right through the middle of town on the Chattahoochee River.
There are several outfitters in town, like Cool River Tubing and Helen Tubing, which will provide you a rental tube and a shuttle back to the starting point once your tubing adventure is older. All you need to do is kick back and enjoy the views as the Chattachoochee River carries you downstream.
If you don’t feel like tubing yourself, you can also grab a seat at one of the patios of the restaurants alongside the river, like Paul’s Margarita Deck or The Troll Tavern, and watch as others float on by.
7. Walk to Anna Ruby Falls
Just 15 minutes outside of Helen, Georgia, you’ll find Anna Ruby Falls, twin cascades careening up to 153 feet tall down a rocky cliffside.
In order to reach the falls, you’ll need to walk along the Anna Ruby Falls Trail, a half mile (one-way) paved path that climbs uphill to a wooden platform, overlooking the cascades. Along the way, you’ll walk alongside Smith Creek, with pretty overlooks and seemingly countless smaller waterfalls.
Parts of the incline getting up to the waterfall can feel a bit on the steep side, but there’s plenty of places to stop and take a rest. Accordingly, most hikers in decent shape should be able to complete this trail just fine!
There’s also some nice amenities at the trailhead, including a small gift shop, bathrooms with flush toilets, picnic tables and grills.
Anna Ruby Falls is located in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest, which charges a $5 per person entrance fee here.
It’s also worth mentioning that the falls are only open from 9 AM to 4 PM, so be sure to head here on the earlier side!
8. Soak up the sun at Unicoi Beach
To get to Anna Ruby Falls from downtown Helen, you actually drive through part of Unicoi State Park, which is home to a spring-fed lake that’s surrounded by pine tree covered mountains.
Unicoi Lake is home to a small beach that’s perfect for cooling off in the summertime. Plus, if you’re not one to just lay around and soak up the sun, the state park also rents paddle boards, kayaks, and aquacycles if you want to get out on the water.
9. Hike to Dukes Creek Falls
While Anna Ruby Falls is usually pretty crowded, there’s another waterfall, Dukes Creek Falls, that’s WAY less busy and, in my opinion, even more beautiful!
Along the Dukes Creek Falls Trail, you’ll walk along a 1.1 mile (one-way) hiking path that leads down to a series of wooden observation platforms, overlooking the cascades. The hiking path is beautiful, winding through a beautiful tunnel of trees, with peekaboo glimpses of Dukes Creek and other waterfalls along the way.
You will have to climb back up to the trailhead, but the path is well-maintained and wide, making this a great trail for beginner hikers.
10. Visit Tallulah Gorge State Park
My husband, Justin, and I are outdoor lovers and were REALLY impressed by the natural beauty around Helen. Our favorite place we stopped at in this area was Tallulah Gorge State Park, located about a 40 minute drive east of Helen.
There is a really nice Interpretive Center, where you can learn about the history of this area, ranging from the Cherokee people who call this place their ancestral home to the geology of the cliffs lining the gorge.
Plus, there’s all kinds of adventures waiting to be had, like rock climbing, paddling, and over twenty miles of hiking trails, with stunning views of the gorge’s rugged walls and waterfalls crashing down rocky cliffsides.
We hiked the North Rim Trail, which departs from right behind the Interpretive Center and features a super cool suspension bridge and a wooden platform overlooking the beautiful Hurricane Falls. Depending on the water level, you can even get a permit from the Interpretive Center to actually climb across the gorge floor to get an up close and personal look at the falls!
11. Drive the Richard B. Russell Scenic Parkway
The Richard B. Russell Scenic Parkway winds about 23 miles through the eastern section of the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest, starting near Helen and ending at Brasstown Bald, which, at 4,784 feet, is the tallest mountain in the state.
Along the way, you’ll pass dozens of amazing hikes, including the aforementioned Dukes Creek Falls, as well as Raven Cliff Falls, Helton Creek Falls, and several overlooks of the stunning Blue Ridge Mountains.
Hogpen Gap Overlook is a fun place to stop in the springtime, with lots of Appalachian Trail thru-hikers resting here as they trek over 2,200 miles, all the way up to Maine—consider bringing some extra snacks or beer to REALLY make a tired thru-hiker’s day!
Alternatively, this is a great scenic drive in the fall, where you’ll get panoramic views of layers upon layers of the Blue Ridge Mountains, covered with spectacular autumnal foliage.
12. Explore local wineries
Like many mountain towns in the United States, Helen is surrounded by beautiful wineries, where you can enjoy a glass of wine and the stunning views of the surrounding rolling hills. Some of the most popular wineries here are Yonah Mountain Vineyards, Serenity Cellars, and The Cottage Vineyard and Brewery.
The wineries around Helen produce traditional European varietals, like Chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon, as well as sweet fruit wines, including those that live up to Georgia’s nickname, the “Peach State”.
Where to stay in Helen, Georgia
Helen is a small town with lots of hotels within walking distance of all the shops, bars, and restaurants in the downtown area. Here are some of our favorites:
- Heidi Motel: For something on the more affordable side, this motel has a fun windmill exterior, an excellent location in downtown Helen, and a wide variety of rooms with different amenities, including fireplaces, jacuzzis, and a private outdoor dining area.
- Helendorf River Inn: This hotel has an excellent location along Helen’s main street, overlooking the Chattahoochee River, and has nice amenities, including a seasonal pool, an onsite coffee shop, and a complimentary continental breakfast.
- Valhalla Resort Hotel: This resort is definitely the nicest in the Helen area, tucked a bit away from the hustle and bustle of the downtown area but just a short drive away from all of the best attractions. There’s a lovely outdoor pool that’s perfect for lounging around on a hot day, an onsite restaurant, and stunning views of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains.
When to visit Helen, Georgia
The good news is that, throughout most of the year, there’s something cool going on in Helen. Here’s what you can expect for each season:
Summer
Thanks to Helen’s location in the Blue Ridge Mountains, it never gets too terribly hot in the summertime, with average highs hovering in the mid-80s. Plus, there’s so many fun water activities here—floating down the Chattahoochee, chasing waterfalls, or splashing around Unicoi Beach—there are plenty of ways to cool down.
Fall
Autumn is the busiest time to visit Helen, with its popular Oktoberfest drawing tens of thousands of visitors every September and October. If you want to visit for this event, I’d suggest coming in early September, when the weather is still warm enough to tube down the river (or just enjoy your Oktoberfest beverage of choice whilst watching others float on by).
By late October or early November, the fall foliage is popping off in the Blue Ridge Mountains, offering the perfect backdrop for hiking or scenic drives.
Winter
If you’re looking to lean into the Bavarian Christmas cheer, December is a great month to come to Helen, with the town decked out in its holiday finest and tons of fun events. Helen is also a popular spot to celebrate New Years Eve, with a dropping of an Edelweiss flower at midnight to accompany music, food, dancing, and fireworks to ring in the New Year.
Once January 1 rolls around, Helen is definitely quieter than the rest of the year. Out of all of the times of year to visit, I would say this is when Helen is at its least charming, given the bare trees and the chilly weather.
Thankfully, though, given its southerly location, it never gets bitterly cold here, although temperatures can dip below freezing in the winter months.
Spring
From March through April, leaves and springtime blooms start emerging from the trees, dotting the Blue Ridge Mountains, bringing some life and color back to the area.
Again, this wouldn’t be my first choice of when to visit, given that many of the best things to do in Helen aren’t seasonally available. However, if you’re on a tighter budget, you will find the best deals on hotels and rental cars during this timeframe.
I hope you enjoy exploring Helen, Georgia—it’s such a cute little corner of our country! Do you have any questions about visiting Helen? Let us know in the comments below!
