Leavenworth - The Bavarian Hamlet of USA

This is in USA!

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There is a small, beautiful piece of Germany nestled in the wilderness of North Cascades, acting as a colourful gate to the famed Enchantments of Washington. 

Yes you are looking at a fairyland

With dreams of a Bavarian fairy-tale fresh in my mind, driving away from an overcast Seattle sunrise, I knew my day would be anything other than dreamy since I was heading to this small town finally. Dew-drenched meadows led us to the snowy Cascades and then out of nowhere, Wenatchee river decided to greet us with a loud gurgle, guiding us to a beaming town.

Welcome to Leavenworth

In the early 20th century, a small timber community in the Pacific Northwest of the United States decided to turn a lumbering village into a rail town. Little did they know that a century later, their tiny town would be visited by a sea of people with nothing but wonder and appreciation in their eyes! And never had I thought that I would be one in the sea of people, enchanted by this place called Leavenworth.

Holidays in Leavenworth!!!

Within 5 minutes of entering Leavenworth, we saw people languidly walking around the town, children frolicking around the centre gazebo, carolers, Santas, people with guitars and trumpets – seemed like Christmas had decided to stay in the town! 

Dazed...

And then the town itself, dusted with light snow, painted with love, this was Bavaria fenced by the Alps, or so it seemed. I don’t remember when I forgot I was still in Washington and when I felt like I was some commoner from a Disney movie gaping at an animated Rothenburg (Germany). 

So many beautiful murals!

Every year, from the last weekend of November to the weekend before Christmas Eve, Leavenworth adds a set of spells to its existing magic with the Annual Festival of Lights. 

Which Disney movie?

Reaching early in the town is key during this time if you really want to soak in the ambiance. We walked down the commercial street while spotting numerable hand drawn murals, not just by local artists but also some famous German artists.

Bavaria is not that far from Seattle.

Though this town was revamped to be a theme town to resemble Bavaria, towners left no stones unturned in making sure Leavenworth felt authentic in every way. You can sip ale and beer at leisure while enjoying a bite or two of pretzels and bratwurst at almost every corner of the town. 

Christmas stays here.

If you are not a foodie like me, grab a cup of hot cocoa from The Gingerbread Factory and head over to either the Nutcracker Museum, where you can admire and try to understand the mechanics of almost 6000 nutcrackers, or to Kris Kingl’s Christmas Market where a number of intricate Christmas villages would steal your heart! Walking through the commercial street and front street during the festival can get overwhelming because of the crowd, but somehow it just doesn’t put you off.

Oh that beautiful sunset...

We headed straight to the Waterfront Park to ditch the crowd and were treated with a stunning sunset. Walking along the Wenatchee river in the shadows of the dim lit cascades, enjoying the quiet twilight, I really forgot about the Christmas tree lighting!

It is time!

We hurried back to the centre gazebo as soon as we could, only to find the place jampacked with people! The everyone in and visiting the town gathers near the gazebo and streets around it post dusk for the magic of the festival of lights to commence. 

Let the lighting begin

Holiday songs, more carols, some Santas and elves pepping the crowd for the moment, and then the lights begin – starting from the Christmas tree right next to the gazebo, the wave of light engulfs the entire town. 

Yes, it is the festival of lights!

With that, you are left to enjoy the remainder of the night with a dream of lights, natures and a magical town because magic does happen in Leavenworth.

On the way to Leavenworth from Seattle.

How to Get to Leavenworth:

The closest international airport to Leavenworth, the Seatac International Airport is just 2.5 hours away! Also, you can easily get to Leavenworth in 3-4 hours from Portland, Spokane and Vancouver. There is also a special bus or train to Leavenworth for the Light Festival but do check the site way in advance for availability!

Bavarian Lodge, Leavenworth.

Do not miss!

- The Gingerbread Factory, where you can find every baked specialty of the holiday season.

- Kris Kingl’s Chrsitmas Market because you just can’t get enough of the Christmas vibe and cuteness.

The Metal Waterfall Gallery

- Nutcracker Museum and its array of nutcrackers.

- The Metal Waterfall gallery for their creative metal art.

My lunch at Sulla Vita!

- Sulla Vita for its scrumptious Italian addition to this German town and Watershed Café for their famous salmon dishes.

- The Waterfront Park to soak in the nature and get some time away from the crowd.

- And literally any of the breweries and pubs if you want to get that Bavarian swing.

What else can you do around Leavenworth during winters?

Steven’s Pass Ski Resort – About 40 minutes away from downtown Leavenworth, the Steven’s Pass Ski Resort is not only a place to visit for skilled skiers, but it is also one of the best places in Washington to start out skiing. With 11% of the mountain runs being beginner level and the super patient instructors of the Ski School - trust me when I say you are in safe hands even if this is your first-time skiing. Steven’s Pass was my first ever ski experience in USA (I had done it once before in Gulmarg, India and frankly knew almost nothing about skiing before Steven’s Pass)

Wenatchee Lake – Think of a stunning clear lake, no crowd, frozen shore and bliss! I absolutely loved Wenatchee Lake, which is about 30 minutes away from downtown Leavenworth, and no words could do justice to the view there!

Blackbird Island – And if you are not in the mood of driving around, head over to the Blackbird Island with your snowshoes and you can hike the 2-mile loop trail on this island, that is just a stone throw away from downtown Leavenworth.

A not so common postcard from Leavenworth!

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