60 miles N of Atlanta

An hour's drive north of Atlanta will deliver you to northwest Georgia's most romantic retreat. The Barnsley Gardens, which lay in ruins for half a century, are now restored and part of a luxury resort funded by Prince Hubertus Fugger of Babenhausen, Germany. Before 1999, it was easy to skip Adairsville, until the German prince and his princess opened the sprawling 1,300-acre resort, nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Even if you're not a guest, you can dine at one of its restaurants, including a Bavarian beer garden, or else explore its 19th-century ruins, small museum, and 160-year-old formal gardens.