Two things come to mind when heading to Savannah: the hugely successful architectural restoration of its centre, and "The Book" (as it's referred to there), John Berendt's multimillion seller, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
Carefully planned on a system of squares - there are 21 of them within the relatively small downtown - this city of 150,000 in the "low country" of Georgia is something of an oasis, a visual feast that feels smuggled into the strip-mall America which radiates beyond its borders. The ubiquitous Spanish moss dripping from live oaks in long blue-grey strands like some kind of Gothic drapery, and the profusion of greenery - hibiscus, magnolia, crepe myrtle, Georgia Pines and azaleas - combine to produce an atmosphere more sensual than most city planners can even dream of.
Located 17 miles up the Savannah River from the Atlantic, in the last of America's original 13 colonies, Savannah was founded in 1733 by James Oglethorpe. Oglethorpe, apparently, was keen to keep out Catholics, lawyers, hard liquor and slaves; he lost on all fronts. His prohibition against slavery was overturned in 1751. Catholics, judging by large Irish-American population came in droves. And there's no arguing, ultimately, with liquor and lawyers.
Once the world's foremost cotton port, Savannah's decline began in the post-Civil War period when the plantations foundered, cotton prices slumped, and underpaid labour migrated north. Its decay continued into the 1950s when seven local women formed the Historic Savannah Foundation in response to the threatened demolition of Davenport House in order to make way for a parking lot. Now, Savannah boasts the largest historic urban landmark district in the US, with more than 2,300 architecturally and historically significant buildings in a 21/2-square-mile area.
The melange of architectural styles is extraordinary: Victorian Gothic, Greek Revival, Federal and Colonial, Italianate, Romanesque and Regency stand within walking distance of one another. Intricate gingerbread ornamentation, the ornate wrought and cast iron of serpentine stairways and balconies, domes, stained glass, granite steps and Georgia marble . . . all are on display. Exteriors are painted in a vibrant medley of colours - lavenders, mauves, limes, and royal blues. These days, a half-dozen open-air jitneys tour Savannah's streets at 15-minute intervals, but despite the recent boom in tourism, these magnificently restored buildings stand elegant and unconcerned in the midst of it all.
It is an ideal city for walking, and Savannah's numerous shaded squares provide tranquil resting places from the Southern heat. And because it's virtually impossible to drive fast here, there's no equivalent in Savannah to that Dublin game of chicken played by pedestrians and motorists. You can wander comfortably through its Historic, Colonial, and Victorian districts, down towards the river, past the row of antique shops, past Emmet Park (named after Robert Emmet and containing a large, limestone Celtic Cross, which looks distinctly out of place under the canopies of Spanish moss), until you reach The Cotton Exchange. Built in 1886, it stands as a remnant of the days when Savannah was the Wall Street of the cotton trade, the industry on the backs of which the city's architectural splendours were built.
Tourism in Savannah has increased by almost 50 per cent since the publication of Berendt's book, a mostly factual account of the trial of wealthy antiques dealer Jim Williams for the murder of his employee and lover, Danny Hansford. (Williams was acquitted after four trials.) The relationship between the city and the book - which has sold more than 2,500,000 copies - is a rather weirdly cosy one. On tours, interwoven with Civil War history, and details about Oglethorpe or the cotton trade, guides point out sites of key scenes from "The Book".
The breeziness with which it's all referred to - the fact, for instance, that Mercer House, where Williams shot Hansford, is now on the market for $8.95 million - makes it tempting to forget that this relatively recent killing was in fact quite real. Perhaps this shouldn't be surprising here (after all, the Chippewa Square bench on which Tom Hanks sat, chocolates in hand, in Forest Gump recently has been removed to Savannah's History Museum), but you can't but wonder how Hansford's family feels about this marriage of tourism and literature.
While Savannah knew its worth long before "The Book" brought it to wider attention, there's no doubt the city relishes its status as literary focal point. And the effect on the visitor is odd. Berendt's book lays bare so much of the risible snobbery, the intricate Southern social code, the political squabbles over the restoration, that you feel inappropriately privy to the secrets behind these beautiful doors. You feel a little like you're in the book. Or on the set of the movie based on the book. Or the set of the documentary made about the book and the city. You end up in the confusing position of wondering just what, in Savannah, is imitating what.
This strange blurring is nowhere more apparent than in "The Book" Gift Shop, a cramped space filled with Midnight . . . memorabilia, postcards of Berendt in cosy poses with various "real life characters" from the book, and evidence of the careers Berendt rescued from obscurity: Emma Kelly - Midnight's Lady of 6,000 Songs - has CDs for sale, and Chablis - the quasi-transsexual drag queen who was merely scraping by when Berendt wrote about her - has published her autobiography. On the counter is the Midnight Newsletter, though the copy dates from 1997. Only two issues were printed, the shop assistant rather sheepishly admits. Somehow this lethargy seems reassuring.
When the hoopla of the book fades, Savannah will remain one of the most beautiful American cities. Its genuine concern with its historic and architectural legacy will ensure that. And beyond its immediate offerings - its show-houses, its riverboat cruises, its haunted-pub tours - there are numerous further flung activities to enjoy on the spattering of islands just off-shore.
Getting there
Dublin-Atlanta-Savannah flights on Delta, are £502 return. Dublin-New York-Savannah on Aer Lingus are £643 return.