Savannah, Georgia

Savannah, Georgia, United States

Golden hour light filters through Spanish moss in Savannah, illuminating brick townhouses and a square path.

Go for walkable squares, shaded streets and a river-edge city that rewards slow mornings and warm evenings.

The place

Savannah sits on bluffs above the Savannah River in Chatham County, on Georgia's Atlantic coast. It is the county seat and the oldest city in the state, and it has been a working port since the eighteenth century. The city has about 148,000 residents, making it the largest on the coast and the fifth largest in Georgia, and its wider metropolitan area ranks third in the state. The land lies only about 15 metres above sea level, so the streets run flat and the air is humid for much of the year.

Much of the appeal is the historic core: a grid of squares laid out when the colony was young, each shaded by live oaks draped in Spanish moss. Brick townhouses, iron balconies and walled gardens line the lanes, and cobblestones survive in places as a reminder of the port's old trade. Sources describe the historic district as the country's largest restored urban historic area, and the walk through it always takes longer than the map suggests.

Beyond the squares the city is practical and industrial. Cargo moves through the harbour, factories and logistics firms line the river, and the redeveloped Plant Riverside District shows how old industrial buildings can take on new lives. Tourism is a major part of the economy, and in spring and autumn the historic centre fills with visitors, so the quieter streets are best found early in the morning or late in the day.

Its story

Savannah's story begins in February 1733, when General James Oglethorpe and the settlers of the ship Anne came ashore at Yamacraw Bluff. They were met by Tomochichi and the Yamacraw people, and by the Indian traders John and Mary Musgrove, whose knowledge of local languages made Mary Musgrove an important interpreter in the early dealings. The colony of Georgia was founded on the same day, with the new town as its first settlement, and it grew along the bluff above the river.

In 1751 the colony became a royal province, and Savannah was its capital. Its position made it a busy port, and by the time the American Revolutionary War began it was the southernmost commercial port among the colonies. That trade made the city a prize. The British took Savannah in 1778, and in 1779 a combined American and French force, including Haitian troops, failed to drive them out during the Siege of Savannah. The British did not leave until 1782.

The city remained a prosperous seaport through the nineteenth century, even as the seat of state government moved inland. The state legislature named Milledgeville the capital in 1804. During the Civil War, Savannah was a major Confederate city and the prime objective of General William T. Sherman's March to the Sea, and its historic fabric survived that period largely intact.

What to see

Culture

Savannah's arts scene is larger than its size suggests. The Savannah Book Festival is held each winter around the historic squares, with free talks by dozens of contemporary writers, and literary events are scattered through the rest of the year. The city is also the birthplace of the novelist Flannery O'Connor, who lived here until she was a teenager. Her childhood home is now a museum with its own literary programme, including the Ursrey Lecture, which honours American fiction writers. John Berendt's 1994 nonfiction book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, set in the historic centre, has drawn many readers to its houses and squares, and some arrive expecting a tour of its characters.

Religious life runs deep here. The Congregation Mickve Israel synagogue and the city's churches are working places of worship, and their congregations keep regular services and community events. When you visit the synagogue or the cemeteries, dress modestly, keep your voice low and ask before photographing people or the inside of a service.

What to wear

Savannah's traditional dress is mostly the Anglo-American clothing of the colonial and nineteenth-century South. Visitors see it in museum collections: linen and cotton day dresses, waistcoats and tailored coats from the eighteenth century, and silk gowns with hooped skirts from the parlour era. The Lowcountry's older craft traditions, including sweetgrass basket weaving brought by Gullah Geechee communities, are closer to everyday life than formal dress.

What people wear now is relaxed and warm-weather. In summer, linen shirts, sundresses and seersucker are common, with flat sandals or canvas sneakers on the pavements. In the evening, smart-casual is the norm, and restaurants on the squares rarely ask for more than clean trousers or a simple dress.

For a visit, choose light, breathable cotton or linen, since summer humidity is heavy. Pack a sun hat, sunglasses and a light layer for air-conditioned interiors. Comfortable closed shoes matter more than fashion, because the old brick pavements and cobblestones are uneven. Cover shoulders and knees for churches and the synagogue.

What to eat

Plan it

Best time. March and April bring mild weather and spring blossom, and November and December bring cooler, drier days. Summer is hot and humid with afternoon storms, and the hurricane season runs into the autumn.

How long. 2–3

Getting there. Fly into Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, or into a larger hub such as Atlanta or Charlotte, then take a rental car or a train or bus. Amtrak serves Savannah on several long-distance routes, but the station is a little way out of the centre, so the last leg is a taxi, rideshare or local bus.

Budget. mid

Tips

Etiquette

Nearby

Sources