Once upon a time, nestled up in the mighty Cascade Mountains, there was a little timber-town called Leavenworth. It was a quaint little town, its people kind and hard working, never expecting greatness…until one day in the early 1900’s, the Great North Railroad changed their fate.
Little Leavenworth was named headquarters of the railroad, and the economy boomed. This time of prosper didn’t last long though–in a few short decades, Wenatchee absconded with the title of headquarters. Alas, what were the poor people of Leavenworth to do? Well, not to worry. The people of this town are crafty! Creative! Why, they simply turned their beautiful mountain town into a Bavarian Wonderland! It’s been merrily trapping tourists since 1962.
Today, the town is known as a family-friendly destination, famous for its Christmas extravaganza and other events, including Oktoberfest, Bavarian Icefest, and Ski competitions. As you may have guessed, winters here are very cold, and if you visit, wear good snow boots. The roads are shoveled, but the sidewalks are not. However, the summer is warm, and the landscape is a hiker’s dream. As Leavenworth is alongside the Icicle River, which quickly joins the larger Wenatchee River, river rafting is a popular and an exhilarating summer adventure.
Downtown Leavenworth is quite small, and the whole village is easily walkable (even in the snow), though decked out horse-drawn carriages are also available. The Bavarian theme is impeccably carried out on every edifice inside and out. Signage boasts names like Kris Kringl’s and The Edelweiss Hotel. Restaurants, shops and craft fairs (try the jalapeño fudge) line the streets, and more often than not, the shopkeepers are in costume, as well. The closer it is to Christmas, the more packed with people and outfitted pups Leavenworth will be. I recommend ducking into one of the breweries or wineries, where the crowd should be slightly less dense (minus some children, at least). For example, ten days out from Christmas, the wait at one of the restaurants was just shy of two hours, but I immediately got a table at Swakane Winery on Front Street (the main street). Most restaurants have surprisingly-reasonable prices and vegetarian options but, don’t worry, brats are abound; as is glühwein, a delicious and warming mulled wine.
At 4:30, the real Christmas magic happens. A boy in lederhosen blows on an alp-horn and the mayor bids you, ‘Guten Abend’ and ‘Willkommen in Leavenworth’. After much ado and Bavarian-style pomp and circumstance, the switch is flipped. Just as the sun dips below the snow-capped mountains, the town lights up like a Christmas tree. Every roof, balcony, doorway, tree, bush, and shrub is covered in lights. It is truly beautiful, and ignites the Christmas spirit.
Amtrak has a station out here, but the drive isn’t too bad (and maybe more convenient, as parking is ample.) Leavenworth is just about two and a half hours east of Seattle.
