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German goes to AMERICA'S MOST GERMAN TOWN!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ส.ค. 2024
- We went to America's MOST GERMAN Town! There is a town built in as if it was just out of old "Germany." It's a town in the heart of Helen, Georgia with everything from half-timbered houses to brautwursts and brezel! While visiting the USA we decided to check out this German Town and see how it compares to where we've lived in Germany! What are your thoughts?
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Timestamps:
00:00 - German Phil
00:14 - German Town in America
00:54 - Parking
01:17 - Helen, Georgia First Impressions
04:12 - German Restaurant
04:48 - Real German Drink ;)
05:30 - German Sausage Meal
08:57 - Beer Cheese Soup
10:36 - Exploring More of the Town
16:53 - German Bakery (Kaffee Und Kuchen)
20:00 - Brezel Bavarian Life
21:44 - Chocolate Truffles
23:51 - Final Thoughts
![บุษบา - วงชานเมือง [LiveCoverVertion] Original : เมนทอล](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Dm81sKcd9rs/mqdefault.jpg)
What are your thoughts on this German Town in the USA? If you enjoyed this video, you may like: German Husband Tries Southern SOUL Food! (th-cam.com/video/BNGUtz5E4EM/w-d-xo.html ) or "American" Food According to Germany... (th-cam.com/video/Gdh696UNRNM/w-d-xo.html )
come to the hiil country in Texas New Braunfels it's new San Antonio
Looks like a tourist trap which is why it’s expensive. Most tourists expect to pay higher prices. When I go overseas as soon as vendors realize I’m American the price goes up 50 percent 😂
Oh my goodness, it was so great to see you make this video. It was so much fun to watch you both trying the food and making the comparisons. I visit Helen, GA often and I also host a TH-cam meetup in Helen always on the second weekend of March. Yes, the Georgia Alpine Coaster was worth it . I love Hofer's for sure. The cake-eating was fun to watch, lol. If you are in the Georgia area as we speak, I would love to meet you both. I live about three hours from Helen and I could hop in my vehicle to meet you both :). I have been following you both for two years or more. BTW- I am also hosting a TH-cam meet-up in Heidelberg on 1 July 2023 and I would love for you to accept my invitation to attend. hint hint:) LOL. !! Thanks again for not only this video but all the videos that you make. Let's surely keep in touch.PS- I have lederhosen (purchased in Bavaria) and I wear it from time to time for special events: ).
please go some of our towns that are actually german, not some tourist trap. there are a few comments under the video with suggestions. you should consider checking them all out. i'll add my suggestion of Madison WI to the ring, while it wasnt founded by germans, the cultural presence is still heavily there; given that Germans were the largest group of european immigrants to settle in Wisconsin.
For the Real "most German town" you spelled Frankenmuth Michigan wrong.
😅
Way better and older than Helen Georgia .
There are many actual German speaking communities in the US. This is just a tourist trap.
I find German speakers here all the time, but yes it is super touristy... Also I would argue Levenworth in Washington is the most Bavarian town in the U.S.
Helen is less than an hour from us. It is totally a tourist trap.
@@jerrydufresne1886 Leavenworth is also a tourist trap. It's a little town that got stranded with no visible means of support after the railroad was discontinued, and needed to find something quick. So they dressed it up in a Bavaria theme and tourist stuff.
So sad. What a disappointment
@@meganwatson4479 There is nothing sad about hearing "Guten Tag Y'all" it may be a tourist trap, but it is entertaining at least lol
Actually the most German town is Frankenmuth, MI. It is also home to the WORLD’s largest Christmas store! Come visit! 😊
I kept scrolling and looking for someone to mention Frankenmuth! I really love that town!❤❤❤
I thought that’s where they were before the video.
Bronner's!
I was hoping this was Frankenmuth, when I started the video. Love that town. :)
Frankenmuth Michigan is the only town in the US that is officially recognized by GERMANY to have an official OKTOBER FEST! it was settled by Germans!!
This makes me think that if Germany built an "America Town" it would look like Dodge City.
Agreed. But in actuality if they wanted a true US designed city, it would be like L A. where you have to drive a car 30 minutes to everything. It would be all spread out, no sidewalks, huge parking lots.
Yes!
we actually did. Did you ever visited Pullman City Harz? In Hasselfelde they build up a western town for tourists.
@@ImTheDudeMan471 Most US towns to not require 30 minutes of driving to everywhere. Even in LA and Houston 30 minutes gets you a good distance barring any unforeseen delays. You certainly don’t have to go 30 minutes in LA for the bank, grocery store, bar, etc.
The thing about the US is that depending on what part of the country you go to the architecture will be vastly different. In California a lot of buildings were stucco then I moves to the Southeast and encountered people who didn’t know what stucco was. Some parts of the South tend to have high ceilings and Gulf Coast has a lot of French influence.
I used to live in Atlanta and loved coming to Helen, but never really thought of it as "German", but more like a Disney version of southern Germany.
What *IS* German about Helen is all the wonderful hiking (backpacking) right around Helen! It sits at the foot/start of the Appalachian Trail :-) I've spent more time backpacking near Helen than in Helen.
If you really want the American/German experience take a trip to the upper Midwest. You will find several little towns with German heritage. I’m from the Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin area and and a lot of the area is German or Dutch. The town I grew up in was mostly Dutch but also German. Some of the old timers still spoke Dutch and German there.
Also, Pennsylvania has alot of German influence. Pennsylvania Deutsch/dutch (no relation to the Netherlands when it is pronouced as Pennsylvania Dutch) community is very big. The PA Deutsch are descendants of Protestant groups including Amish, mennonite, lutheran, etc. that settled in PA in the 1600-1700s. My family in particular came over either in the late 1600s and the early 1700s. Most of my ancestors that came from Germany/Switzerland area, were here before the American Revoultion (only one fought in the revolution). Most people who speak the German Dialect of PA Deutsch are mostly mennonite and amish these days.
Agreed, born and raised in South Eastern Minnesota, HUGE amount of German and Norwegian culture in the Northern Mid West.
Skol Vikings!!!
I grew up in Wisconsin. My Oma and Opa were from Germany!!
New Ulm, Minnesota and Fredericksburg, Texas are also well known for their German culture.
@@sarablyler7689 That's right. There was an entirely understandable misapprehension amongst the English/Americans. When we said Deutsch it sounds like Dutch. So they thought we were Dutch, but in fact we were German. There's this constant reference to the "Pennsylvania Dutch" but most of them would have been German. Language is not a giveaway either because Dutch and German are very similar sounding to an English speaker.
Oh god I was not prepared for the reverse eating shots 😅
We have Leavenworth in Washintgon you might want to research and visit... It's just getting into the warmer weather here too and it's a beautiful German town
Leavenworth is billed as a "Bavarian Village"; I don't think I've heard it called generically German. It's in the Cascades, which are similar to the Alps (supposedly). It has about one German street. I first heard about it in my high school German class, so I went there and tried to see if anyone in the businesses spoke German, but nobody did. It adopted the Bavarian theme in the 1970s to encourage tourism to a small town a hundred miles from Seattle. Cheers from Seattle; I've been watching your channel for a couple years.
@@sluggo206 A lot of people talk about it as just German, but yes, they don't sell themselves as anything other than Bavarian.
Leavenworth, if I remember correctly, meant to resemble Garmisch. Which it does. I was stationed in Germany and made the trip there. Both locations equally beautiful!!!
Leavenworth at Christmas is a dream! 😊❤ I think it helps that it's right up against the mountains.
Do locals actually speak German?
I wonder what Phil would think of Milwaukee, Wisconsin? They have a big German Fest celebration every year, nice German restaurants like Maders, and the famous Usingers Sausage company. Also LOTS of craft beer!! 🥨🍻
Maders used to be great many years ago. Can't say how it is today.
Great bier and food, just like home cooking. They actually got it right!
We LOVE Usingers!!!! Their mail-order is awesome 👌
Or the October fest in LaCrosse Wisconsin
The Bodensee Restaurant is where you should have gone. I don’t think you would have been disappointed. The cook and owners are from Germany. We were there in Dec of 2020 it’s a cute little town to go to around Christmas time. Blessings from Oklahoma.
Greetings from, Bodensee
🙋♂️
Spent 18 most in Stuttgart, Germany area. Best time of my life. Oklahoman here too.
I am a native Georgian and have been visiting Helen since I was a child. No one thinks of it as being an authentic German experience. It’s just a tourist trap, and a great place to drink in October.
Helen is quaint and charming for sure. Those prices though are bananas.
German Prices can't be imported.
I find that "German restaurants" in the US are typically overpriced for simple foods like sausages and schnitzel, with a side of mash potatoes and cabbage. For affordability, it's best to find specialty sausage makers to get quality sausages and prepare it yourself and then buy your own beer!
No Mash Potatoe and Schnitzel. Kartoffelsalat.. it's so easy to replicate but either it's a big Sekret for them or they don't like the taste.
I've been to Helen, GA a few times with friends. It's a cute 'german styled town' tourist trap and worth a visit. There are treat shops, trinket shops and several good 'german style' places to eat. Very family friendly during the day and after dark gets louder with the beer gardens. Lots of vacation cabins in nearby towns and moderate priced hotels are walkable to town if you want to get some 'german' drinking night life. During the summer months there is a water park and river tubing. Locals are great!
Als Jemand aus Bayern muss ich sagen 30 Euro für ein Paar Bratwürste und ich würde dem Wirt den Hals umdrehen
Viel zu Teuer
Maximal 8-10 Euro
Und diese Dinger sind noch nicht mal Bratwuerste. Als gebuertiger Oberfranke sollte ich darin Experte sein:))
Auah! Das könnte aber weh tun 😁😁👍🏻
Frankenmuth, Michigan is a real German town in the US. This is just another themed tourist trap
The Old Bavarian Inn was one of my favorite places to go in Helen. Back in the day the chef was from Germany and made an awesome sauerbraten. May need to plan another trip up there, then hike up to Anna Ruby Falls (then desert at Hofers).
I think Helen is the third most visited spot in Georgia! Helen was a textile town that was dying in the 1960’s. Someone came up with the idea to re-do the town in a Bavarian style and it’s been a success. Unicoi State Park is just 5-10 minutes away: zip line, kayak rentals, camping and a Lodge to stay in- nice park!
There are a few castle hotels in Germany. There is a fairly big one in Oberwesel and Schloss Rheinfels. There is actually a booklet that was published by the Germany National Tourist Board called Schlosshotels.
Knockwurst is also known as knackwurst, they make a snap (knack) sound when biting into them. Knockwurst is just what these sausages are called in North America. My German mother orders them all the time at our local German deli here in Toronto
2:52 actually some castles in Germany do offer accommodation. For example, next time you are in the Rhine valley region, you could try Stahleck castle in the little historic town of Bacharach. They run a youth hostel there and accommodation is not expensive at all. You do need to make a reservation, though.
I planned on visiting Helen, GA after a motorcycle rally next weekend. Thank you so much for showing your viewers what to expect there. Much love from Charlotte, NC! ❤
Helen is a tourist trap. Anywhere like that in the US is very expensive.
Sooooo true 👏
If you want to surprise him with language, take him to Fredericksburg, Texas. The Texan German used there is highly eclectic, almost like Cajun French.
Yup
I wonder what Phil would think of some of the cities in Texas' Hill Country in between San Antonio and Austin that were settled by German immigrants such as Fredericksburg. Also whether Phil can understand Texas German. It'll be interesting to see him reacting to Feli's ( Feli from Germany) reaction to hearing elderly Texans speaking Texas German.
The difference between Helen and St. Augustine is that St. Augustine was actually settled by the Spanish in the 1500's and isn't built solely as a tourist trap. I'm sure there are tourist trap areas in St. Augustine, but there's more cultural significance and toes between Spain and the city.
They probably think it's entire tio dangerous to visit Texas at all and that would be pretty accurate. They kill children in Texas.
I was thinking they need to visit Wurstfest in New Braunfels the first week of November. I would be interested in their thoughts since I know that many of the ‘Opas’ (organizers) are German descendants and regularly travel to Germany as well.
I thought you might have been in Frankenmuth, MI! In addition to being a "little Bavaria" it's known for Zehnder's famous fried chicken and Bronner's, the world's largest Christmas store.
I would LOVE to watch a video of them dunking on Frankenmuth 😂
I grew up near there.
I just commented on this. Frankenmuth was settled by Germans in the 1800s - much like most of the region around Frankenmuth.
@@karenjones2548 Ditto. I hear "Most German town in America" and my mind goes directly to Frankenmuth. Do not pass Go, do not collect $200.
It's an actual city, not a "set up town". There are city rules about construction and new buildings have to have a "Bavarian" style look, and there are all kinds of stores for the tourists. As a kid, my favorite place to window shop was the fudge shop. (It's a tourist trap in Michigan. Of COURSE it has a fudge place.)
Yall really need to get to Mt.Angel Oregon for there octoberfest in September! They have actual German performances and great german food. I grew up in this town and over 500,000 or more come from all over the world for our octoberfest❤
I went this past September for O’Fest and found it pretty standard. Come try Leavenworth, we are situated at the foot of the mountains. Gorgeous is Summer, as well.
My mother, Helga, is from Munich. I am American but I am comfortable with German things growing up with family from Germany. Many aunts and uncles. You mentioned you don't see brown mustard in the U.S. Look for Heinz Spicy Brown Mustard. It's my favorite. and great stuff.
I prefer Gulden's. It's not the same as the original formula.
In Detroit we have Immelhoefer mustard and horseradish sauce, they are authentic German-style condiments!
You may find it bigger city supermarket.
Frankenmuth, Michigan might wanna fight for that title.
Yes ! Deana is 100 % Correct !! German Chocolate Cake is NOT German ! It was created in the USA , NOT in Germany !!!
It's actually called German's chocolate. A man whose last name was "German" developed a sweeter chocolate.
Tmw you go to the most German town in America and discover there is nothing German about it. I don't know whether to laugh or be offended at the stereotypes in those places😂. When you look up "tourist trap" in the dictionary, there's a picture of Helen, Georgia. 😂😂😂
I’m not even German, but it almost makes me offended on their behalf because this is almost like a joke or just trying to call Americans stupid. No way these two idiots are serious 😂
Most of the “early” German immigrants were from Bavaria… so it’s not unexpected that “German themed” villages/towns and restaurants or “cultural” places are mostly Bavarian “vibes.” (Bavaria was mostly agricultural, back then… and it was common for the eldest son to inherit the family property… and the rest of his siblings got nothing and had to work for pennies, under the eldest. Because America offered the opportunity to…. eventually…. own land and be one’s own boss… some of the “poor siblings” emigrated.)
If you get a chance… check out some places in Wisconsin. Lots of German speaking immigrant descendent are there. You may also want to look into Fredericksburg TX. (The later is similar to Helen, in vibe… but you may still run into some little old lady or man, who speaks an old version of “German.”)
If you ever visit South America… you could also see some “German” towns. Most of those folks are people that fled Germany after the war… or their descendants. (Potentially former Nazis, running from “retribution.”)
Sweet mustard is common in Bavaria, that is true, but only with Weisswurst! And you know, Weisswurst can NOT hear the noon bell of the church. So it is basically breakfast. You are NOT supposed to cut a Weisswurst, but you suck it out of the casing through one end. And you drink a Weissbier with it. Basically, you are encouraged, in the very southern part of Bavaria, to drink bier for breakfast. True story - I am from Bavaria, living in Arizona.
Enjoyed the video... anytime you go somewhere like that you are going to pay extra for everything...As if prices weren't bad enough already... LOL I am a 81 year old grandmother.... have always wanted to visit Germany... My great-grandfather Mohr was born and raised in Germany... he made homemade sauerkraut... we use to sneak some from the containers they had it in in the basement lol. I watch "German in Venice" on youtube. He visited his mom in Germany a few months back. Showed us so many interesting things ... will never make it there, so Truely enjoyed all his videos. Thank you for sharing. Hope your vissit was a great one.
18:25 I died laughing with your imitation of Arnold Schwarzenegger
You guys should check out Leavenworth Washington for Christmas! 🎄
Should've gone to Gatlinburg, TN at the foot of the Smokey Mountains. It's VERY touristy, but it's built along those Bavarian style houses and whatnot. Helen is just 120 south of Gatlinburg...straight as a crow's fly. That area must've been heavily settled by Germans.
Helen was a planned city for a german themed town, Gatlinburg tried to be but failed on the most part their oktoberfest is not taken seriously on the most part and not advertised heavily either
Live in Blue Ridge, GA but have been in Bavaria (Vilseck) with military since last October and enjoying the experience. Small Bavarian towns are incredible and the people even nicer!
I love to go to Helen to float the river in the summer. It’s so nice, I’ve always wanted to go in September when they have their October fest. The river is the best attraction there imo.
Such a cool place! My Dad took me Helen one one of my trips down to see him. We got my sister a pair of the wooden shoe slippers for Christmas and had lunch at The Troll Tavern too🤣👍🏻
German Chocolate Cake was invented in Dallas Texas by Sam German. Thus the name.
Actually, the cake was invented by Mrs. George Clay from Dallas.. Sam German developed the dark chocolate, called German's Sweet Chocolate, which gives the cake its name. It was originally called German's Sweet Chocolate cake.
Lovely video, again, from two of my favorites! I agree with you on the prices. Those are Disneyworld prices. Outrageous! I would just enjoy walking around there, and then leave to find an Aldi. 😂
Knockwurst could be fauxpas for Knackwurst, it's an Austrian sausage that's kind of like a bloated, not so long Frankfurter sausage and it's called that way because it "knackt" when you bite in it. Here it's also poular to grill it. I think it's similar to the German Bockwurst.
Or it could be a contraction of Bockwurst and Knackwurst. A Bockwurst is like a thicker, chunkier Wiener sausage (get your minds out of the gutter, kiddies 😂) and a Knackwurst would a sausage with an extra kick of snap to it when bitten into.
However I've never heard of that in Germany either.
To me, a Knackwurst is a more red, coarse sausage, often with cumin or garlic, in a ring or straight and dried/smoked. A bit like a salami but not as dense
We call it Frankfurter, not Knackwurst, du Knackwurst. And the German ppl call it ...Wiener. We love or hate each other so much that we eat each other.
@@silviahannak3213 Oh no, I meant the Knackerwürstl not the Frankfurter :)
@@silviahannak3213 Well, in Vienna we call it Knackwurst, if it is a double sized (thicker and shorter) Frankfurter. And after cutting it into two halfs and then frying it in a pan we call it suddenly Augsburger. Maybe there is a slight difference in the recipe for Frankfurter (which are called Wiener in Germany) and Knacker, but not much for sure.
12:45 Pirate’s Cove is actually a mini golf chain and it’s great!! We’ve played many rounds at Pirate’s Cove locations around Orlando in Florida
Glad to see you in Helen Lol. My wife and I have been there and kind of enjoyed it but it was expensive. I agree it's a theme park in a sense or a tourist trap is what we call it in the U.S. , But we had a good time in and around Helen. I enjoyed Ann Ruby Fall's a lot. Would love to go to Germany some day and take in the real food scene. Best I've had was from a old German couple years ago best potato salad ever and that was over 20 years ago. Keep it up enjoy your videos
You gotta go to Texas, so many German, polish and Czech like cities. Foods bomb there!
Ha... was just coming to say... on your next US trip... Come to Texas... Lots of German food offerings here... Fredricksburg one of my favorites... would love to know what a real German makes of the food there... This is a tourist trap... not really making fun of Germans... I look at it as more embracing a part of Germany... but, still... or come to my house... I make great German food.... Hmmmm, I think...lol
My aunt grew up in West, TX (before it blew up) and she only spoke Czech until starting school.
Definitely need to speak to people that speak Texas German. My dad was Czech and spoke German fluently. He said it's an interesting mix of the two with English thrown in. But the food there is amazing.
Born and raised in Germany as an Army Brat. Spent most of those years in Munich (where my Mother is from) and Bad Tolz. Now living in Washington State for the last 20 years. Have visited Leavenworth many times. It’s nice to experience if you haven’t done so, but it sure can’t compare to the real Bavaria. It is beautiful in the Winter as it sits at the base of the mountains. In the Summer it has great camping, fishing, hiking etc. The scenery is breathtaking. Come visit!!! Prost!!!
You should visit Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Many German's immigrated here.
Been there years ago, my Uncle-in-law took us for the day while visiting him in Georgia, it was so cool. I loved sitting the the Beer Garden even though I didn't drink any beer & looking at all the shops/houses. I'd go back & have a beer this time. 😉🍻 Prost !!
I’m German American my sister is named HEIDI & my brother was named HANS WOLFGANG HOFFMANN .
Goodness, Deana and her sexual innuendos whenever Phil starts munching on anything long 😂
But yeah, as a German I can see this isn't authentic. It's basically Disney World, without the rides.
Glad you still had a good time, though! At least there was a decent Radler!
I find Deana and her sexual innuendos charming, funny and sexual ! I bet she 's wild and lots of fun in bed ! Phil is a very lucky man to have her and he should cherish her !
In Mesa Arizona they have a German restraunt called Zur Kate If you ever come to Arizona you should check that out and see what you think.
They are very authentic! The owner is my friend from the same region where I am from (I am also living really close to the restaurant 😃)
You might want to try Guttenberg Iowa, Leavenworth Washington or Frankenmuth Michigan.
There are lots of towns in my native Kansas with lots of Germans but they are mostly Germans who emigrated to Russia (Volga region) first before moving to the US. Some are Roman Catholic (Western Kansas towns of Victoria & Hays) and others Mennonite including a few Amish. In Goessel Kansas you’ll find the Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church.
Many, particularly in the Amish town of Yoder Kansas speak a version of German that you’d understand even though it’s different from what you’re used to.
Apparently the Lutheran Germans stayed in Germany and never felt the need to move to Kansas.
Last time I visited Helen, GA was in the 90s. Was on my way to the Smokeys. Took the scenic route. It's great you stopped at one of the restaurants over looking the Chatahoochie (AKA "Hooch") river. When I went there, there were people tubing down the river. As for the brats, I did get to eat one from a street vendor in Koln. It was a couple of Marks (before Euros).
The best time to go there is on the weekends. It gets crowded there. Also right before Christmas too. Otherwise it is slow there. Edit--- people come for the nature near there. There are some beautiful waterfalls and rivers near there.
Those are definitely theme-park prices. 😕
I was in Germany for six years. Your food a culture is great. Loved every minute of it, till i had to come home....Thank you for the content, and enjoying some good food. i was in Vilseck Germany, and traveled all over...
Helen is the gateway to the Chattahoochee National Forrest and the middle part of the Appalachian Trail in GA if you're coming from Atlanta. Been through there many times when I lived there 40 years ago and I see it hasn't changed. A Bavarian themed tourist trap with way overpriced food. There was a neat little reptile zoo just south of town, i can't imagine that's still there.
There’s a lot of German people that live in the Ocala area of Florida. I’ve been to Helen and it is definitely a tourist trap and the food isn’t very authentic! That being said the pretzels with the bier cheese was awesome! We went to the hofbrauhaus restaurant and pub to get the pretzels and cheese on our way home. The pretzels were fresh, hot, and soft. And the bier cheese was mild and creamy. It was by far the best thing we ate in that town during our time there!
One of the things I like most when I visit Germany is the high quality, low cost of the food. Your in a tourist town and they are taking advantage. They also prob. lost a lot of business during the pandemic so they raised the prices.
Im guessing its not meant to represent germany of today, but rather more the 1600's. We dont do modern theme parks in the US, at least not to represent a foreign country (that i have seen at least). Basically a "romanticized" version
As an American, born and raised, and having never travelled outside the country, I have to say that I never thought most present-day Germans or Germany would look like it is portrayed in these towns. I can't speak for everyone of course, but from my perspective this is a nice fun quaint way to remember the old days. Kind of like going to a 50's diner. People like to step outside themselves and visit other cultures. We still see Octoberfest celebrations where some of these things are demonstrated, and it seems like fun. When you go to Santa's village you don't think that Santa really lives there do you? That being said, I do understand how you feel. It still makes me queezy to hear people say "merican". Or to think that everyone outside our country thinks we all walk around carrying weapons, or we are gang members. The movie studios love to portray culture so that it makes their movie fun, which in turn can present a country's people in a bad (or incorrect) light.
Yay! I knew you would have to visit Helen. Next stop Gatlinburg?
Michigan has one of those! It’s called Frankenmuth. Wasn’t initially a tourist attraction, but became that way.
I think Americans are nostalgic and we want to see what things were like a long time ago. My 23 yr old got to visit Germany briefly last fall and she is so excited to know she has a lot of German ancestry. She only went to the Beer-garden on her way to Italy, but she had a fun time. She loved the pretzels and beer. Thanks for this video. My dad wold call it a tourist trap.
Ever heard of Frankenmuth, Michigan? It’s only slightly less cheesy. But it’s close to Bronner’s (where it’s always Christmas) and Tony’s in Birch Run. Tony’s is worth the entire trip, mostly because you won’t be hungry when you leave.
Deana and Phil, if ever you get back to the USA, come to Cincinnati, OH. I can think of at least 2 restaurants that might be more "authentic" for you. I don't know that they would be specifically German, but they are definitely in that area. Mecklenburg Gardens and Lazlo's Iron Skillet. And while we aren't an authentic German city, there is a lot of that influence due to craft beer being very popular and having been brewed here for MANY years.
I live about 25 mins from Helen; it seems that back in the day they tried to be a bit more German (town meetings opened in German, mayor was officially titled Bürgermeister, etc.) But in the last 40 years or so its sadly devolved into purely tourist trap.
Although, the bakery, Hofer's, does employ some waitresses who can speak a bit of German, if you were to order it from them. Some of the other restaurants, not so much.
While I didn't see much of Germany while in the US military, (Bavaria and Wurttemberg), I find it interesting that the area my family came from (Gingen an der Fils) has many geographic similarities to the northeast Georgia Appalachians. A lot of the people here have some Palatinate or Swabian ancestry from 300-400 years ago.
We think it's ridiculously expensive in Helen too.
Thanks for visiting the area! If you come back, go places nearby and learn about the Cherokee Indian heritage of the area. Blessings!
Very informative... thank guys!!!
Go to Amish country and try to speak German there.
Yes and. Better German sausages there!
He'd probably be stumped. Most Amish speak a variant of Plattdeutsch, which is related to middle-German, but it is in fact its own distinct language different enough that even a proficient German speaker won't understand them.
@@RustyDust101 Yes. I'm aware of that. Would be fun to see.
Washington State has Levenworth; alpine buildings, skiing, Wineries. Wenatchee River, Waterfront Park is a habitat for ospreys and eagles, summer outdoor theater. Lots of stuff.
Please cheer up Phil, most Americans can recognize a tourist trap when we see one. And we expect a tourist trap to be very kitchy and not at all realistic, or true to current reality. Most of us would only expect to see a German wearing lederhosen or a dirndl for special festivals.
Have you been to Cincinnati, Ohio? A lot of German heritage there and in the surrounding areas, a whole section of the city is called Over the Rhine because the immigrants were reminded of the area in Germany. And in the main downtown district you're encouraged to take your beers with you to walk around the city.
I'm from Bavaria and I'm always amused how the world sees us 😂 but yes, we are addicted to beer 🍺
Go to the American food section of your local store and the way the media potrays us. It’s offensive to be honest, but at the same time sometimes accurate
Prost! Yes Bier is good , we go to the Total Wine Store here by us they have every Oktober German beer on special.
@@realisticthought1781 bro its way worse the other way around
What city in Bavaria do you dig the most? Salut!
You'd fit in very well in Wisconsin.
In the south of Brazil, in the state of Santa Catarina, there are a city named Pomerode where 90% of people speak German and Pomeranian and another city named Blumenau where there is even a decent Oktoberfest.
If someday visiting Brazil I'd definitely recommend.
Re. castles, I didn't encounter them in Germany, but in far western Austria, almost to Liechtenstein, back in '86 during my trip home from a tour of Israel via a Eurail pass, I found a castle which had recently be gutted and remodeled, and looked brand new--for $5 at that time. What an amazing deal that was!
Also, there's another German area in Texas' hill country, and one of the biggest is New Braunfels, and in southern Wis. there's a small Swiss town by the name of New Glarus.
Check out Frankenmuth in Michigan with its year round Christmas store, Bronner's. (think Käthe Wohlfahrt). There are many, many, Americans with German origins in the U.S. I come from the town of Holland in Michigan which is I guess mostly Dutch immigrants but also some from Grafschaft Bentheim in Lower Saxony.
Thank you for doing a turn through Helen. Loved it! As everyone says, it is most definitely a tourist trap. However, the town was designed that way for that very purpose ie "Germany for poor folk" lol. When you see people there wearing lederhosen shorts, dirndls, knee/calf warmers socks and "Bavarian" hats it is essentially mirroring the Munich Oktoberfest attire which is somewhat traditional for that event. So in that regard it was obviously never intended to resemble "modern" Germany in architecture, cuisine or attire --but to be a "fun" 24/7/365 Oktoberfest vibe. One of the cool things about Helen is the fact that you can actually find many (if not most) of the official 6 Munich Oktoberfest beers (Paulaner, Hacker Pschorr, Hoffbrau, Spaten etc) *on tap* and served in masskrugs. Which isn't available in most of the US.
*Also fwiw regarding St Aug: at the very least they can legit claim they're the "oldest city in America" and actually mean it. Even if much of it is just period facade.
If you happen into fly-over country,,, perhaps try Breitbach's in Balltown, Iowa. Overlooks the Mississippi. They do a limited German buffet on Feastdays (St. Michael's, for instance), otherwise just top notch Midwestern buffet, with everything from scratch.
I lived in Germany for 10 years. I love the culture but I also incorporated a lot of my American Tex-Mex into the German food that I learned to make. Now my landlords... Yeah.. Did not like it... But the 2 sons! Loved the changes that I had made. Now I have been to Helen just once and it was a lot of fun but When you have lived in German for so many years and then 18 years goes by and you get to go to Helen... I enjoyed it because I brought a flood of memories and that made the whole trip amazing.
I live not far from there. You guys actually sat at the exact same table we sat at and Phil ordered the exact same thing I ordered (minus the grapefruit beer), weird. The potato salad thing confused me but I just thought it must be how they do it in Germany. I remember wondering how German the food was so I found this very interesting.
Wow, I didn't hear the famous word "Preis-Leistungsverhältnis" once by Phil. "Augen zu und durch", würde ich sagen. 😂
That was a Boston Cream donut. Bavarian cream donuts usually don't have any chocolate covering (usually just powdered) & the cream itself is different.
"There's always room for chocolate." Amen, sister. LOL.
It's possible to sleep in castles here in Germany. Lots of castles are hotels now. For instance: The famous Wartburg in Eisenach!
Yun's really need to come to PA in the beginning of July and check out the Kutztown Pennsylvania Dutch Folk Festival then maybe go over to Lancaster for the Amish tourist stuff, but also check out the farmers markets all around.
And maybe go up to Schuylkill and Carbon Counties if you want to get a taste of some coal region recipes that are hybrids of PA Dutch and Eastern European
Parking: the problem is, there are often no 1h or 2h prices. $10 is a lot when you park only 2h, but it‘s OK for a full day. I was in Vegas a few days ago. 1st hour free, 1-3 hours $15. Like a slap in your face when you manage to come back after 70 minutes. America rips you off where it can and the Americans don’t even care because they’re used to it. In Disneyland CA you pay extra for parking! Though a one day ticket for an adult cost s >$150! For one day!!!!
Wetter: was beneide ich euch? Bin gerade in Kalifornien (SoCal) und hier ist es kalt, meist bewölkt und feucht.
You talk like Germany is cheaper. There is a reason life is the way it is when its being manipulated. Do you expect government subsidize these prices for you or are you just waiting for New Nazi regime take over?
you should have gone to Fredericksburg Tx. Many of the locals still speak Germán and they have newspapers in German. They used to have a radio station the was German. Many of that whole area of Texas still speak German.
It’s a Texas German dialect.
@@judykeown a German TH-camr who moved to USA went the and said she could understand the German but it was difficult.
In Chicago, at Navy Pier they charge $17 to ride the roller coaster. I agree, it is crazy the price of foods such as pretzals, hot dogs, pizza , and pastries today.
With the knockwurst, they might have mudled some things up.
In Holland we have a type of sausage called a knakworst, which is similar to the Wiener
I live in Georgia and used to visit Helen (just 90 minutes away) until I was able to visit Germany for a month. I can't bring myself to go back to Helen now, it's too disappointing. I have been back to Germany 3 other times, 30 days, 11 days and 10 days, it is my favorite country to visit. There are castles that you can stay overnight in Germany, one is Colmberg Castle -
Burg Colmberg Hotel & Restaurant.
I feel like you missed out on a few things in helen. 1) the best resteraunt there has been closed for sometime, and that was the Edelweiss resteraunt and hotel it was just south of the town outisde of walking distance. However the owner butchered their own meat, and made excellent true german style wurst etc, I used to go there to eat, and they had a butchershop too where I would load up on weiss wurst for the freezer. Hofbrauhaus used to be very good also and that would have been my second suggestion, though it has been a number of years since I have been there and the menu now looks so-so. They used to have true homade red cabbage that was outstanding, but it was totally dpeendent on one german employee who made it. If he left so did teh authenticity. The story was he just showed up drunk one night, and they gave him a place to stay and a job.. LOL (you might try that) You probably would get better German food in Knoxville TN at Restaurant Linderhof. Helen is really fun on holidays and also when the tubing is in full swing. (during mid summer) Actually perhaps for that reason the best time is 4th of july weekend it is packed with people, everyone is intertubing down the creek that runs through town, and the Troll tavern you ate at is a great place to drink a beer, and laugh as the flotillas of people crash on the rocks....it has the best view of the mayhem as it is a known spot where people get stuck and fall out. If it has been dry it's mostly people just getting stuck. if it has rained alot it's a good rapids.... (it doesn't have good food though as you found out, not even dumplings or spatzle) They do an incredible fireworks display for the 4th and it is PACKED. It looked a bit dead when you went there. Maybe you should try Gatlinberg?
I'd counter this by suggesting you DON'T want to go there during the Independence Day holiday, or any other time when there are a shitload of tourists there. Large crowds of people take all the fun out of everything. That's why I can't take more than a few hours at Wiesn.
Right across the river from the Troll Tavern is another restaurant where you can watch the tubers float by. Cafe International was its name last time I was there.
@@RoguePhysicist I guess one's take on this has a lot to do with their own preferences as Extroverts and Introverts. In many ways Helen is like a theme park, and to my mind some of those "rides" only work with more people. However I also get what you are saying, for instance there was a time I thought the best ride in Helen was merely to stay at Edelweiss which was south of Town, avoid Helen proper all together, enjoy the footpaths in the woods both there and in teh state park, and simply eat at some of the varying restaurants. However I really do like the crowds during the independence celebration, the fireworks, and the festival like feel. It comes closer to say an actual Oktoberfest celebration in Germany (which would have carnivals, food stalls and state fire like quality), then what happens there during Oktobefest. People watching is a "ride" unto itself....and the strange mix of things that do not belong together to me is Helen's charm.
I thought for sure it was going to be in Wisconsin. Beer cheese soup and beer brats are found in many restaurants here. Some of the yummiest local foods!
Come to California and visit our Danish town, Solvang.
That would be so fun to Phil's reaction to Solvang. I want to visit Solvang, living in L.A. one day I'll make my way to Solvang
Solvang is the best! I have so many happy memories going there. I’ve always had great food there as well. ❤❤❤
Part of the reason for the high cost of that meal is because you’re in a tourist town it’s just like eating in a theme park like Disney World they have you trapped and they’re gonna milk it for all it’s worth. And none of that meal looked that great to me my mother could make a better meal.
Go to Frankenmuth, Michigan.
Known for Bronner's Christmas Store but a Bavarian town complete with restaurants/shops like German shopping areas!!!
This Knockwurst is actually based on the Knackwurst. A German Knackwurst is a boiled sausage or a raw sausage. There are different characteristics depending on the region.
07:48: That's not potato salad, that's mashed potatoes. If that's supposed to be potato salad ...
09:03: Beer Cheese Soup - I've never seen that either.
I agree by the way, it's a tourist attraction.
In Texas we have New Braunfels and Fredericksburg for a little German flair. Texas had many German and Czech settlers in the late 1800’s. Many small towns have their descendants. In the Texas hill country there is a a Texas German dialect spoken by the old timers.
Absolutely meets the definition of tourist trap but must be appreciated in light of its history. In the 1960’s Helen was a dying logging town that transformed itself into a “German” village. The town was saved and is what you see in this video. Are the locals better off than they would have been? Probably, compared to some other similar towns. And it’s fun to go see, once.
I lived in Germany from 2005 - 2008. My family and I went to Garmish - Partenkirchen several times. On Sunday we did see people dressed in traditional lederhosen, boiled wool jackets with silver buttons and dirndls. These people seemed to be going to church.
Been there a couple of times when I lived in Switzerland, a beautiful town or should I say towns?
When I have gone hiking in Der Rhoen, near Fulda, Hesse, I have seen many people wearing Tracht, mostly men, I even had my own hiking outfit! My cousin wore a Loden Jacke in the winter. and a felt hat with the goat hair in the silver horn!
the rewind eating xD i am almost 40, why is this so funny to me 🤭