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The History of Helen, GA: A German Town
Helen, Georgia: A Quaint Little German Town
As a native Georgia girl who grew up going on camping trips with the family at Unicoi State Park, I became very familiar with the town of Helen as it was necessary to drive through Helen to get to Unicoi. If you're not familiar with Helen, it is a small little German town in which every single aspect of the town is Bavarian.
If one wanted to get a good idea of an alpine village in Germany looks like, one need not look further than Helen, Georgia. But how did this charming little German town come to exist?
It all started in 1968 when local businessmen got together to brainstorm ideas to improve the town. They went to a local artist friend for help. The artist had been stationed in Germany and used his experiences to sketch the buildings, add gingerbread trim, details and colors to the buildings, which ultimately gave an Alpine look to the whole town.
By January of 1969, local business owners and carpenters began to bring the sketches to life. When you visit Helen today, you will see every single store has been renovated as well as the addition of cobblestone streets. Not only that but visitors can see scenes of Bavaria as well as North Georgia history depicted on the face of each building.
As you can imagine, this charming replica of a German town has drawn millions of visitors each year. There are countless fun activities to partake in as well as pleasant little shops to visit. Indeed, simply writing about this quaint little town has made me want to jump in the car and drive up there right now. No matter how many times you may visit Helen, you will never get tired of this lovely German town.
Just Curious
Have you ever had the pleasure of visiting Helen?
Sources on Helen, GA
- HelenGeorgia.com | Wilkommen Alpine Helen Georgia | Blue Ridge Mountains | Chattahochee River | Fami
HelenGeorgia.com - Helen Georgia is a re-creation of an alpine village complete with cobblestone alleys and old-world towers. This Northeast Georgia village has a rich history. - Helen, Georgia | Helen - White County Convention & Visitors Bureau
Helen, GA and the surrounding White County are known for shopping, camping, both rustic and luxury mountain cabins, restaurants, bed and breakfast inns, mountains, theater, recreation, romantic getaways, beautiful scenery, family activities, waterfal