A Bavarian mountain village awaits travelers less than an hour’s drive from the North Carolina border. Alpine Helen, Georgia, is a hidden gem, a mountain destination filled with arts, local shops, and plenty to do, whether you have a weekend or longer.
Of course, Alpine Helen wasn’t always a Bavarian town. In 1968, Helen town officials knew that their small mountain community was fantastic — they just wanted to find a way to make sure everybody else knew, too. So to draw in folks, they changed the facades of their downtown buildings to look like a Bavarian village in Germany. It worked.
Over time, Helen’s Bavarian style has encompassed the town, leaving the romantic mountain scenery intact for you to explore. As the temperatures dip and you make your autumn plans, check out five ways to experience Georgia’s slice of Germany, no passport required.
For a full-scale, palatial experience, visit (or book accommodations at!) Uhuburg castle and climb the eight-story Lookout Tower. Photography courtesy of Alpine Helen/White County Georgia CVB
Former psychologist and retired ship captain Bob Marthai brought his vision of living a good life to Helen by building a utopian-like castle. His goals for castle visitors entailed “reevaluating core philosophical and religious values, appreciating the values of good home-grown food, recognizing the wonders of nature, and finding life worth celebrating.”
Naomi Marthai, Bob’s daughter, works with Uhuburg today, and she still feels its magic. “The castle is set off the road, creating a sense of being transported to another place,” she says. “There’s something for everyone here, making it a truly magical experience.”
Naomi recommends making time to explore the castle’s nooks and crannies. “My favorite activity is climbing the eight-story Lookout Tower, which is attached to the castle,” she says. “It offers incredible views of the mountains and the castle grounds. Chamber guests who stay overnight have the unique opportunity to climb it at sunrise and sunset. It’s such a special place.”
You can grab tickets for a tour or book a stay in one of the castle’s chambers. While there, wander along the 300-foot mural wall, enjoy meals made with ingredients grown on-site, see wraparound views of the Blue Ridge mountains, and explore the extensive gardens.
Discover the Bavarian-style village in downtown Helen. Photography courtesy of Alpine Helen/White County Georgia CVB
Downtown Helen is the epicenter of the action, packing a lot (including more than 125 local shops!) into two square miles. The result is a walkable delight.
If you are one for local artists, start your visit at the Helen Arts and Heritage Center. In addition to offering classes and programs, its shop is packed with local, handmade goods. Not far away, peruse the selection of names carved in glass at The Glassblowing Shop to find a personalized (and fragile) gift.
In Bavaria, Black Forest craftspeople celebrate their culture of creating fine timepieces. In Helen you can also find intricate clocks and watches at Lindenhouse Imports and Bavarian Clockworks. And from European chocolate to wooden shoes, Windmill Dutch Imports is committed to bringing all their goods in from Holland.
Downtown also brims with eateries. Get your morning, mid-day, and evening meals from any of the 25 restaurants, plus all of those important drinks and snacks in between.
Dig into a plate of frankfurter and bratwurst with a bier. Photography courtesy of Alpine Helen/White County Georgia CVB
For all the best picnic supplies — beer and wine and homemade desserts, like Moon Pies — Betty’s Country Store has anything you might have a hankering for. When she’s not at Uhuburg Castle, Naomi likes to hang out here. “It has a great casual atmosphere in the open-air porch,” she says. “I usually get their Reuben.”
Known for its authentic German fare, Bodensee Restaurant will satisfy your hankerings for mountain trout or a fantastic Bavarian meal. The spätzle has bacon or cheese! The schnitzel comes three different ways!
Keep the Bavarian feeling rolling with breakfast at Hofer’s of Helen Bakery, where you can sit down for a German morning meal or take a pastry to go. And for a mid-day pick-me-up, stop by Hansel & Gretel Candy Kitchen.
If you’re looking for farm-to-table dining, head over to Mully’s Nacoochee Grill, where you ascend the steps of an old home to find shrimp and grits and trout chowder, ready to elevate your comfort food cravings.
Alpine Helen has the longest-running Oktoberfest in the country, where the whole downtown turns into one big party. For more than a half century, the town has perfected their take on the traditional German festival that runs from September through October. Lederhosen, bier, and polka abound. Be sure to brush up on your German celebration songs, because sing-alongs for ditties like “Ein Prosit” feel mandatory when making your way through the happy celebrations.
“There’s a wide selection of German beers to try and plenty of polka in Helen’s Festhalle, making it a wonderful way to experience Oktoberfest without an eight-hour plane ride,” Naomi says.
All ages are welcome at each event, but a local tip: Events in the week are more family-friendly than weekend events. Get your tickets, then eat, drink, and be merry with the parade, live music, and dancing.
Just outside of downtown, Helen’s White County holds some of the United States’s best waterfalls between its state and national parks.
Spend a day or two to experiencing this natural world by visiting Anna Ruby Falls in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest. Take a walk down the short, paved trail to find a cascade of water from twin falls plunging 150 feet to the water below.
There are plenty of picnic spots nearby to enjoy goodies you picked up at Betty’s, plus miles of trails packed with wildlife to explore. Two of Georgia’s other impressive waterfalls, Dukes Creek Falls and the double-cascading Raven Cliffs Falls, both tumble nearby and are worth a trip. With the foliage bursting in fall-flamed hues, these parks offer one of the greatest shows on earth.
Sometimes it can be hard to be still for a while when you’re on vacation. You want to see it all! One of the beauties of wineries is that they are a built-in break, a place to stop, sit, and take it all in … while still feeling like you’re out and about.
In Helen, wineries abound as do ways to experience them. Book transportation on an Elite Excursions & Wine Tours bus. Elite’s experts will take you to three of Helen’s eight wineries, guide you through tastings (if you need it), and bring you lunch from a local bakery.
Explore wineries range from Sweet Acre Farms Winery (which has amazing wine slushies!) to the 200-acre Yonah Mountain Vineyards, tucked into the base of Yonah Mountain, where you can sample the eight varieties of wine they ferment from grapes grown on-site.
From wine flights to steins of festbier and shopping sprees to waterfall hikes, there’s a way to experience Alpine Helen to delight all interests and types of travelers. Click here and start planning your Bavarian getaway, no plane or passport necessary.
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