How To Spend A Weekend In Helen, GA – Your Detailed Travel Guide

It’s visiting alpine Germany, hold the long flight. Yep, you can have an alpine German style getaway complete with beer, bratwurst, and colorful buildings right here in the US of A. Here’s how to spend a weekend in Helen, GA with everything you need to know to prepare for an awesome getaway. It’s definitely a place to add to your US road trip bucket list.

How To Spend A Weekend In Helen, GA – Your Detailed Travel Guide

Disclaimer

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FAQ for planning a weekend in Helen, GA

How expensive is Helen?

It’s a touristy town so expect higher costs when your planning your visit especially when it comes to food.

How long do you need to stay?

It is a pretty small place, so a weekend in Helen is enough to explore the main sites. You can spend one day exploring the main town, and another day adventuring nearby.

I think the only time you’d want longer than that is if you really love German food or culture or you are planning a family trip to do a lot of tubing on the river.

Is Helen pet friendly?

Yes. I noticed lots of people walking around town with their dogs. I was able to have mine with me in the outdoor seating at most restaurants.

What are the highlights?

A Bavarian themed town – imagine German archictechture and food. There’s also a couple of cool attractions mentioned below.

Is there parking in Helen?

Most hotels have parking and there are also a few parking lots in the main street.

Is it good for solo travelers?

I visited with my husband during a Christmas family vacation, but I would be very comfortable walking around town alone and didn’t notice any overly sketchy or unsafe vibes. Just use the same precautions you would anywhere else.

Where to stay in Helen, GA

I stayed at the Riverbend Motel and Cabins which I found on Booking.com and I stayed in one of their standard cabins.

The cabin itself was nothing fancy. Imagine a small town motel quality. It had everything I needed for a comfortable stay though. In the cabin, there was a kitchen, living area, dining area, bedroom and toilet upstairs, and a full bathroom downstairs.

Breakfast was included at the main reception area and had a basic spread of oatmeal, yogurts, pastries, coffee etc.

My favorite thing about staying here was the location. It was on the river so you can get nice river views from the room and I also loved how pet-friendly it is.

The other places I was considering were Bear Creek Lodge and Cabins or Valhalla Resort. If I wasn’t traveling with a pet (mine gets anxious in small hotel rooms because of the noise), I would’ve stayed somewhere like the Red Roof Inn.

What and where to eat in Helen

Get a giant pretzel with beer cheese

This one is a must-do.

Head to the Old Bavaria Inn and get one of their giant pretzels. With walls lined with German decorations, the restaurant itself has the perfect ambiance for your pretzel eating experience.

The pretzel comes out hanging vertically and it’s big enough for two people as a starter. The beer cheese is $3 extra and well worth it.

You can get pretzels at other places around town as well but I really liked the experience at the Old Bavaria Inn.

Also, no trip to Germany is complete without trying an Apple Strudel so maybe try that for desert.

These giant pretzels are awesome!

Fried cheese

Perhaps one you might not expect to try, but I recommend visiting Muller’s Famous Fried Cheese Cafe.

They have some hearty and delicious German and Czech meals as well as (apparently) famous fried cheese.

I tried one of the traditional Czech meals which was delicious and came in a huge portion. If trying a bratwurst is on your list, this would be a great place to go as well.

Doesn’t look like much – but it was delicious!

Candy or fudge or chocolate… or anything sweet!

If you have a sweet tooth, you’ll like visiting Helen.

Stop by the Hansel and Gretel Candy Kitchen for candy apples, chocolate truffles, or even chocolate-coated Lays potato chips!

There’s other places with homemade ice cream, fudge, and even Grannies famous funnel cake so you’ve got a lot of options to get those sugar cravings taken care of.

The Troll Tavern

For a casual German meal on the river, visit The Troll Tavern.

Aside from a cool name and logo, they’ll get your hunger solved with pub-style meals like schnitzels and burgers.

It’s not as traditional as the Fried Cheese Cafe, but still super yum and has a laid back vibe that’s perfect for relaxing with some good food and a beer.

If trying a schnitzel is on your list, this is the place to do it.

I forgot to get a photo of my food at the Troll Tavern, but it’s near this bridge.

Groceries

If you’re cooking some of your own food to save a little cash and need to top up on groceries, there’s a small country grocery store called Betty’s by the main street.

Some of the things you can see at the country store

Coffee

A warm cup of coffee goes perfectly with strolling the town, and check out Yonah Coffee Company for your coffee fix.

You can even create your own flavored latte by combining syrups from their huge list of options.

Great place for coffee

Things to do in Helen

Walk around town

You’re visiting a Bavaria themed town, so the first thing to do is actually experience the town itself.

Walk around the town and soak up all the Bavarian vibes. The colorful buildings and paintings on buildings create a fairytale village vibe.

It’s really fun to walk around the town and since most of it is on the main street, you don’t have to walk far.

Some fun things to do while you’re exploring are:

• get an old western photo
• see the windmill
• walk along the Chattahoochee River
• stop for souvenirs
• stop for fun snacks along the way!

Walking around at sunrise is about the only time you can take photos without crowds – and it makes for a pretty backdrop!

Ride the Mountain Coaster

If you’ll be traveling with kids, it’s probably worth a visit to the Georgia Mountain Coaster.

You don’t have to be a huge adrenaline junkie because it’s not like the crazy rollercoasters at Universal Studios.

I didn’t get to do this one but it looks fun and the line was long the whole time I was in Helen, so it’s a popular attraction.

Go Tubing on the River

If you’re planning your visit between May – September, soak up some sunshine and go tubing on the Chattahoochee river.

Check out this website to get the details on the season dates before you plan your visit.

Visit Anna Ruby Falls

For a fun hike nearby, check out my hiking guide for Anna Ruby Falls here.

It’s only a 15 minute drive from downtown and the hike itself is just under half a mile on a paved footpath, so it’s an easy outdoor adventure. Also, a beautiful area to hike and the waterfall is huge.

The entrance is $3 which you pay in cash at the entrance booth.

Anna Ruby Falls

Smithgall Woods State Park

Another fun hiking area nearby is the Smithgall Woods State Park.

There’s a lot going on here and a lot of trails to choose from. The Ash Creek Trail was my favorite because you cross a creek at the end, but we spent almost a full day walking on the different trails and it was a pretty area to spend a day in nature.

It costs $5 to park here which you pay at the visitor’s center.

Those are just a few things on offer to get you started, but no matter what you choose, it’s easy to fill a weekend in Helen and have a fun getaway.

Smithgall Woods State Park

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