On the banks of the North Oconee River, Athens is a lively college town centred around its historic university. It’s home to stunning 19th-century mansions and the state botanical garden, as well as a quirky tree landmark.

Things to do

Stroll along the nature trails winding through the themed gardens of the beautiful State Botanical Garden of Georgia. Learn about the importance of cotton, tobacco and pears to Georgia’s social history in the Heritage Garden and journey around the world in the International Garden.

Athens is renowned for its antebellum architecture, with the octagon-designed T.R.R. Cobb House one of the city’s most striking landmarks. It has been beautifully restored to reflect its appearance during the mid-19th century, with original furnishings, period artefacts and weaponry on display.

Also of note is the Greek Revival mansion of Taylor Grady House, built in the mid-1840s for the state militia leader, General Robert Taylor. Stop in at the Church-Waddel-Brumby House, a Federal-style museum believed to be the oldest surviving residence in the city.

One of quirkiest landmarks in Athens is the Tree That Owns Itself, a white oak deemed to have legal ownership of itself by a University of Georgia professor in the 1820s. While the original tree fell in 1942, a new tree was grown using one of its acorns on the same site and is now affectionately known as the “Son of The Tree That Owns Itself”.

Getting around

Athens is around 1.5 hours’ drive from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and there are regular buses to the centre of Atlanta. Buses and taxis also service Athens and the downtown area is compact enough to explore on foot.