Helen trip planner

A taste of Bavaria right in the heart of Georgia's "Historic High Country," Helen houses just 400 residents but hosts over 200 shops that sell everything from handmade sweaters to Christmas ornaments. Once a thriving logging town, Helen reinvented itself in the 1960s by becoming a replica of a small alpine village, complete with narrow cobblestone alleyways and stone towers. Today agritourism is the region's new economic boom. Long a favorite weekend getaway for city dwellers from the Atlanta metropolitan area, the town now attracts a growing number of motorcyclists, who arrive in groups to take advantage of the area's scenic roads. Try to time your visit for the town's annual long-distance hot air balloon race, the only event of its kind in the United States. Plan your trip to Helen and other United States destinations using our handy United States tour planner.