Guide to Savannah: how to get there and where to stay, what to see and where to go in the evening. Best things to do in Savannah: latest reviews and photos, places to see, branded entertainment and shopping.
According to toppharmacyschools, Georgia’s oldest city, Savannah, was founded in 1733 and became the British colonial capital of the province. During the Civil War, Savannah was a strategically important port and continues to be so today, as well as a major industrial center. When Sherman’s troops approached the city in 1864, the mayor allowed them to occupy Savannah in exchange for a guarantee of the inviolability of the city and residents. As a result, Savannah has become one of the few major southern cities whose historic charm and old architecture have remained intact. Every year, millions of tourists from all over the country come to Savannah: at least to take a walk in one of the largest historical regions of the country.
River Street is the heart of the city, a popular cobbled street that runs along the south bank of the river. You can’t visit Savannah and not walk at least once along this street from beginning to end.
How to get to Savannah
Savannah/Hilton Head Island International Airport (very beautiful, by the way) receives flights from Dallas, Atlanta, Detroit, New York, Chicago, Washington, Houston and Philadelphia. By train, you can get to Savannah from New York via the Miami line.
Entertainment and attractions of Savannah
The historical part of the city, approximately 1.5×1.5 km in size, is bounded on one side by the Savannah River, and on the other, by the beautiful Forsyth Park with an old fountain in the center. In its northwestern corner is the city market, a project with a mixed purpose. Restoration of this quarter began in 1985, and the result was a multifunctional space with entertainment, restaurants and shops, as well as an art center with a group of city artists’ studios and office space. Right next door, just to the west of the market, is the historic, but completely reconstructed Ellis Square with an interactive fountain and underground parking, which is very convenient for walking around the center.
4 things to do in Savannah:
- Ride the Queen of Georgia on the river and take a free ferry to Hutchinson Island.
- Follow the Bull Street corridor from City Hall to the fountain in Forsyth Park.
- Take a photo with the Waving Girl and her Collie.
- Go on a haunted sightseeing tour, such as visiting Davenport House, where a ghostly cat lives.
River Street is the heart of the city, a popular cobbled street that runs along the south bank of the river. You can’t visit Savannah and not walk at least once along this street from beginning to end. Here, among other things, there are a lot of tourist shops and restaurants. In the eastern part of the street stands the famous sculpture of a waving girl. The rest of the historic district is connected to River Street by stairs and ramps.
The history of the Telfair Museum of Art dates back to 1886, when the Telfair family home was first opened to the public as a museum and art school. Today the museum consists of three buildings: the original Academy of Arts and Culture, the Owens-Thomas House, and the recently completed Jepson Art Center. The latter, designed by world-famous architect Moshe Safdie, features extensive exhibition spaces, a sculpture garden and an auditorium.
The historic cemetery of Bonaventure is also worth a visit. It offers good views of the river, and marble sculptures and Spanish moss create a special nostalgic atmosphere.
The Roman Catholic Cathedral of John the Baptist in its current form began to be built in 1873 and completed in 1896 with two sharp spiers. Just a couple of years later, the cathedral was almost completely burned out in a fire, but it was restored the following year. Today it is a beautiful Gothic building, attractive both from the outside and from the inside. Another interesting religious building is the Mikve Israel Synagogue, built in 1878 in Monterey Square. Its architectural style can also be called Gothic, which is quite rare for a synagogue.
There is a running joke among southerners that when you come to Atlanta, the first thing they ask you is what you do. In Charleston, about your mother’s maiden name. And in Savannah – what will you drink.
Quite remarkable and beautiful are Savannah squares, of which there are 22 in the historical part of the city. Chippewa Square was founded in 1915 and five years later became the center of the city’s evening life thanks to the theater that appeared on it, which can still be seen here, albeit rather dilapidated. The Classical First Baptist Church, the oldest in the city (1833), and Moses Eastman’s mansion are also located in this square, and a little to the north stands an independent Presbyterian church. In the center of the square Chippewa stands a recognizable monument to James Oglethorpe.
Chatham Square was laid out in 1847 and is today home to the famous Gordon Row row of 15 houses, as well as one of the buildings of the College of Art and Design. Calhoun Square was laid out in 1851, one of the last – here you can see the monumental Wesley Methodist Church. And in the center of Columbia Square is the Wormslow Fountain, created in 1970, and on the same square is the restored Stone House, built in 1820.
Chippewa Square is the one where the bus stop used to be in the movie Forrest Gump. In fact, the stop does not exist – it was just a movie set.
Savannah Events
In late October – early November, the city hosts a film festival, the program of which usually includes more than 50 films selected from more than 500 applications from around the world. These are films by independent authors, screenings of which are accompanied by workshops, lectures, receptions and special events for film industry professionals.
The Savannah Music Festival is held under the motto “Southern, soulful and sophisticated.” Mostly here you can hear the most typical music of the south, chamber performances and the playing of groups with an international name.
Every spring, the city hosts the Tour of Homes, a self-guided walking tour for tourists through Savannah’s most remarkable private mansions and gardens. Also in the spring, the city hosts the Sidewalk Art Festival, during which time the sidewalks of Forsyth Park are filled with original art objects and buskers. Most of all, viewers are attracted by one-day masterpieces drawn in chalk.
St. Patrick’s Day, on March 17, is celebrated with a special scale in Savannah. According to eyewitnesses, this is the second largest celebration of this day in the country. The program of events includes a nearly four-hour parade through the historic part of the city, family picnics in the squares among blooming azaleas and lots of fun on River Street.
Neighborhood Savannah
Tybee Island is located about 28 km east of Savannah. It has a long sandy beach and many hotels, bars and restaurants on it. This is the most popular beach destination for weekend and weekend getaways. Although the island offers not only opportunities for swimming: there is a marine science center with an aquarium, a military museum and a very colorful lighthouse – the oldest and highest in Georgia. You can climb the lighthouse (187 steps).
Less than 50 km from Savannah is the almost tropical island of Hilton Head, a paradise for beach lovers. There are many bike paths, a tennis center, about 13 km of beaches for surfing and swimming, golf courses. In addition, from the island you can go on a boat to watch bottlenose dolphins or go kayaking.
Skidaway Island, 23 kilometers south of Savannah, is home to a nature park, the University of Georgia Aquarium, and the Institute of Oceanography.
