Things to do in North GA: Explore the German-inspired town of Helen

About an hour and 30 minutes east of Ellijay, and just about two hours north of Atlanta, lies the town of Helen, GA. What makes Helen visually unique is the fact that it is a replica of a Bavarian alpine town. In 1969, zoning was created that mandated the Bavarian aesthetic had to be present on every building throughout the area. Even chain hotels and small national franchisees exist in buildings like the ones above. The area is quite touristy, and many of the shops mainly sell generic travel gifts, but there are some nice spots, and the town itself was cool to see. Currently, I don't think I would recommend anyone to travel out here just to see the town (its more of a stop by if you're in the area kind of thing) but they do have some larger events that attract people throughout the year.

There wasn't anything going on when we were there, but September - November the town holds their version of Oktoberfest, and in the first week of June, they have their annual hot-air balloon race which would be really cool to see. I've included some links to the notable places we stopped at along with additional photos of the area below.

Parking was based on an honor system box and was only $5.

HANSEL & GRETEL CANDY KITCHEN

THE GLASSBLOWING SHOP

WINDMILL DUTCH IMPORTS

BETTY'S COUNTRY STORE

I thought the lunch at this place was actually really good! Since this town tries to stay with their south-German vibe, most restaurants did not have a many (or any) veggie options on the menu. However, Betty's has a deli counter and a veggie sandwich option.

This sandwich was all vegan! They have a ton of options and you can customize your own. We grabbed a couple snacks and drinks from the store and made a full meal out of it.