Forget gold… there’s chocolate in those Dahlonega hills

Dahlonega may be known as the site of the first gold rush in the United States, but these days the bustling north Georgia town is equally famous for its abundance of dessert chops. And if you’ve got a sweet tooth, this week is the perfect time to pay Dahlonega’s picturesque square a visit.

Starting today and continuing through March 8, Discover Dahlonega is hosting the first-ever Dahlonega Chocolate Crawl. Yes…we said chocolate crawl!  

Basically, the event is a sugary-sweet tour of the city, highlighting its various chocolate and sweet shops (along with full-service restaurants serving desserts) and encouraging visitors to stop in and sample some goodies.  

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A full list of participating shops may be found here — but they include the Fudge Factory, Shenanigans Irish Pub, and the Picnic Cafe and Dessertery.  

Of course, as soon as we heard the word "chocolate" we were heading north, ready to spend a morning sampling some of the best the state has to offer.

Click the video player in this article for a peek at our early morning chocolate crawl!