Helen's Bavarian Village

Helen's Bavarian-themed commercial strip — Hauptstrasse and the surrounding streets — is a completely artificial creation dating from 1969, when the town reinvented itself after its timber industry collapsed. The mock Alpine facades, the window boxes, the cuckoo clock shops, and the German restaurant signs are unabashedly fake but comprehensively done.

The result is surprisingly charming — the mountain valley setting lends credibility to the Alpine pretensions that a flat location would not permit. Wander the main street for the atmosphere, browse the schnitzel restaurants and wine shops, and take the kitsch at face value rather than against it. The town works best when it doesn't take itself too seriously.

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A story
Helen's Bavarian transformation happened in a single year (1969) after the town's economy collapsed with the closure of the local timber industry. A local artist, John Kollock, sketched what the town would look like if it were reimagined as an Alpine village, a delegation visited Bavaria for inspiration, and within months the merchants had repainted, refronted, and reroofed their buildings in the new style. The entire commercial district was transformed in less than a year.