Last week, I shared how I fell in love with Northern Georgia. This time, I’m taking you to the town we made our home base—Helen.

Helen is a Bavarian-themed mountain town in Northern Georgia, less than two hours north of Atlanta. You may wonder how a small Southern town became Alpine-inspired. Well, back in January of 1969, three businessmen met to discuss ways to make the main street prettier and more enticing to visitors while traveling through the mountains. They stopped in Helen and approached artist John Kollock, whose family had long ties to the area.

As Kollock looked through photos of the town, he was reminded of his time serving in Germany and the charming mountain villages he’d seen there. He sketched out his ideas, and local community leaders were inspired. By the fall of 1969, many of the older buildings had been transformed with Alpine-style façades, and tourists began flocking to town. Building codes were eventually changed to ensure that all new construction and renovations adhered to the design. The concept was fully embraced by merchants and residents alike, and today Helen is Georgia’s third most visited town. And you can see by the photos below—it’s a pretty place.

During Christmas time, the town truly goes all out, with festive decorations covering the buildings and filling Unicoi Hill Park. I’ve got to say, there’s something extra special about strolling past twinkling holiday lights without freezing.

A Quick Note on Parking

Parking is at a premium in town. Most lots charge about $10 per day, which feels pretty reasonable if you plan to spend the whole day exploring. But if you’re only stopping in for a couple of hours, swing by the parking lot at the rear of Unicoi Hill Park, off White Street. That’s where we parked—and it’s free.

Next to our VRBO was Dottie’s Kitchen, proudly calling itself the “Home of the Cat Biscuit.” Intriguing, right? Naturally, we stopped in on our first morning. It’s a casual, counter-service spot. After figuring out where to order, I went with an egg and cheese biscuit, plus grits and coffee. Sadly, the biscuit wasn’t cat-shaped, but it was light and fluffy. The servers were friendly, and it was a filling, no-frills meal—perfect if you want a quick sit-down breakfast.

The second morning, I had my heart set on the German bakery—and wow, they did not disappoint. I ordered the Apfelküchle, basically fried apples covered in sugar and cinnamon. My husband had eggs, sausage, and brötchen—soft German rolls that made me very happy. I have fond memories of eating brötchen for breakfast during visits to Berlin.

On our way out, we picked up breakfast for our final morning: brötchen for me and an apple fritter for my husband.

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We arrived after dark on our first night, which isn’t hard in winter when it feels like midnight by 7 p.m. A Slice of Helen was right across the street, so we gave it a try. The pizza was pretty good, but the atmosphere wasn’t really our thing. The bar allows smoking, and that smell carries into the restaurant seating area. If you’re craving pizza in Helen, I’d recommend getting it to go.

You really can’t visit an Alpine town without sampling some Alpine-inspired food, so we headed to The Heidelberg after returning from Dahlonega. We chose an outdoor table with a lovely sunset view over town.

We started with my favorite—potato pancakes and applesauce. My husband ordered the goulash, while I went with the Hühnerbrust with Zigeuner sauce. We took a slice of Black Forest cake home since we were already stuffed. Everything was wonderful.

For our final night, we wanted live music within easy walking distance of our VRBO, and Bigg Daddy’s fit the bill. A guitarist was playing on the outdoor deck at just the right volume. They have a full bar with a nice selection of drink specials, plus beer and wine. I chose the Gouda mac and cheese with buffalo chicken—delicious and fairly priced. My husband went with a burger. We wrapped up the night with a couple of drinks and an easy walk back to our place.

There are tons of cute shops in town, selling everything from T-shirts and fudge to Christmas ornaments. The most intriguing place I found was just outside of town, in Sautee Nacoochee: Nora Mill Granary Grist Mill & Country Store. Established in 1876, it’s still operating today using the original 1,500-pound French burr stones to grind corn and wheat products like grits, cornmeal, flours, and mixes.

What I really loved is that their products contain no additives or preservatives and are incredibly high quality. I picked up their biscuit mix, corn flour, and grits—and everything I’ve made with them has been delicious.

We stayed at a VRBO listed as a couples retreat in Helen. It was just a quarter mile from the center of town and under $200 per night, including taxes and the cleaning fee.

There was plenty of room for two, with a full kitchen, living room, and even a washer and dryer. There’s a small balcony overlooking the main road, though it’s not particularly cozy for hanging out. Other than that, it was clean, comfortable, and very convenient.

We really enjoyed having Helen as our home base for exploring the area. There were so many places to eat, shop, and wander. Our three days weren’t nearly enough to fully experience it, and I have a feeling we’ll be back again and again. In the next couple of issues, I’ll be sharing some cool historical spots nearby—so if Northern Georgia intrigues you, keep an eye out.

‘til next week, happy exploring!
Kathleen

To help you plan your trips, we link to stays and tours. Some of these links are affiliate links, meaning that if you book a trip or sign-up through these links, we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. (For example, the link above to book your stay in Helen is an affiliate link.)