Meet Savannah - historic old city with a revered past, a vibrant present and an exciting future.

Savannah, Est. 1733, brims with an atmosphere and charm fostered by residents who have cherished and preserved its past. Their love of history is embodied in the beautifully restored homes, churches and public buildings that grace the city’s unique, tree-filled squares, and that affection has given rise to a tourism industry that’s boomed dramatically since the mid-1990s.

Energized by the upsurge in tourism and other positive economic factors, Savannah is in the enviable position of being able to use its past to enhance its present and future. The city’s Historic Landmark District is in the midst of a commercial revitalization that’s spreading to the mid-town Victorian District and spilling over into the eastside islands, the fast-growing Southside and the industrialized areas west of Savannah.

With its storied and well-preserved past, its natural beauty and its many and varied opportunities for outdoor recreation, Savannah is a drawing card for tourists. Some 6.35 million people visited in 2005, spending $1.385 billion, an outpouring that has helped stimulate the creation of new hotels, restaurants and shops.

Geography

Savannah is situated at the mouth of the Savannah River, which forms the border between Georgia and South Carolina. The area has a large network of rivers and creeks, many of them under tidal influence. The Intracoastal Waterway runs along the coast, much of which is comprised of ecologically vital marshes.

Climate

Savannah enjoys a temperate climate that makes outdoor activities possible year-round. The summers are hot and the winters are mild. According to the Southeast Regional Climate Center, the average minimum temperature is 56 degrees, and the average maximum temperature is 70.

Dining

From fine dining in sumptuous surroundings to laid-back evening meals at rustic waterside settings, Savannah has much to offer those seeking superb Lowcountry food. Your quest for cuisine could land you in any number of enticing settings — the elegantly quaint rooms of historic old inns and houses reposing on the city’s squares; brick-walled, low-ceilinged cotton warehouses lining the Savannah River; renovated storefronts looking out on Broughton Street; or down-home dining rooms with views of adjacent marshlands. You’ll find food that’s eclectic, and food that’s distinctly Southern, served family-style. Then there’s that intriguing fare billed as “fusion” — a blend of the best of both worlds. The big draw here, though, is the seafood — in particular the crab, shrimp, oysters and game fish taken from local waters. Highly enjoyed are outdoor oyster roasts and a concoction known as Lowcountry boil — called Frogmore stew by some, it consists of boiled shrimp, corn on the cob, sausage and, usually, new potatoes.

Bon appetit!

Shopping

Head south of downtown Savannah and you can “shop ’til you drop” at two enclosed malls, a couple of outlet malls and a multitude of smaller shopping centers. Stay in the Historic District and have a ball nosing around and “discovering” the antique stores and specialty shops dotting the area. They’re not really that hard to locate — many are concentrated on historic River Street, in City Market or along Broughton Street.

Other clusters of boutiques can be found in retail pockets such as the Downtown Design District at Jones and Whitaker streets, the Starland Design District on Bull Street north of Victory Drive, and around Wright Square, and new development corridors are emerging east of River Street and along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

More shopping in Savannah...


Visitor Information
Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce
101 E. Bay St., 31401
Tel.: 877 644-6400

Savannah Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
101 E. Bay St., 31401
Tel.: 877 644-6401

Savannah Visitor Information Center
301 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., 31401
Tel.: 877 944-0455

River Street Hospitality Center
1 River St., 31401
Tel.: 877 651-6662