Aptly named America’s Golden Isles, the mainland city of Brunswick and its collection of charming barrier islands dot the Georgia coastline from Savannah to the border of Florida. Tourists can board small fishing boats and shrimp trawlers in Brunswick Harbour for windswept journeys through the marshlands, bayous and bays dotted with hammocks and kayakers navigating cypress-kneed blackwater swamps. Back in town, Brunswick shows a different side, with quaint antique shops, maritime art galleries, trendy boutiques and plenty of fresh seafood cafes.

Old Town Brunswick is a National Historic District parading Victorian homes a bygone era, with squares and cobbled lanes pre-dating the Revolutionary War and horse-drawn carriages transporting visitors to an America known only in history books. The Mary Ross Waterfront Park and Brunswick Landing Marina draw the focus from past to present, opening a world of exploration on the barrier islands of St. Simons Island, Little St. Simons Island, Sea Island and Jekyll Island, home to the summer mansions of America’s elite dynastic families of the early 1920s. Casino cruise ships depart from Gisco Point for dinner excursions in the shimmering moonlight.

The main intersection of Old Town Brunswick is at the junction of Newcastle and Gloucester Streets, with the clock tower of historic Old City Hall marking the end of Newcastle. Drivers access Brunswick from Interstate 95 or the U.S. 17 Coastal Highway. Bridges and causeways span the waterways connecting the islands to the Brunswick mainland.

Brunswick has roots from Germany, taking its name from the ancestral home of King George II, which was the German city of Braunschweig. The king granted the original land charter that now cradles the city bearing its name. In a nod to its Southern American persona, the city retains fame for inventing the hearty Brunswick stew. It’s also one of the only Eastern seaboard cities that can claim a living museum of architectural styles spanning the years since the early 1800s, including Jacobean, Gothic, Queen Anne, Mansard and Italianate masterpieces.