Leavenworth is a picturesque small town on the Cascade Mountain Loop in Washington state. You can easily reach it from Seattle in under three hours. The Bavarian-themed architecture here will make you swear you’ve been transported to Germany. Leavenworth has not only become a tourist destination for those seeking the German influence, but it also has beautiful views of the surrounding mountains and incredible outdoor activities.
Did you Know? Leavenworth was once a thriving logging village, but when the railroad re-routed their track, the town quickly started to die. To revive the community and bring tourism to the area, the leaders of the town realized the unique mountain setting was very similar to Bavarian Germany, and its appearance started changing.
Photo: Icicle TV
Outdoor Activities
A few of our favorite area activities include:
- Skiing at Stevens Pass Resort is a must for any winter trip to Leavenworth. The resort has 52 runs of varying difficulty, so it is suited for all skill levels.
- There are so many hiking trails near Leavenworth, you are sure to find one to your liking. Some popular trails include: Icicle Ridge Hike, Sauer Mountain Hike, and Colchuk Lake Hike.
- If you visit during the summer, you can spend a day Floating on the Wenatchee River. You can rent a float from Leavenworth Outdoor Center, and they will shuttle you to a drop point.
Photo: Icicle TV
Holiday Activities
Known for its iconic holiday celebrations, Leavenworth kicks off the festivities Thanksgiving weekend with Christkindlmarkt, a Bavarian-style Christmas Market. There’s a lantern parade, entertainment, crafts, and St. Nicholas.
The Christmas Lighting Festival takes place on weekends in December, when the town is transformed into a “Village of Lights” with over 500,000 Christmas lights, live music, and fun.
In January, Leavenworth hosts the Bavarian Ice Festival to celebrate the winter season with snow sculptures, sled pulls, live ice carving, and the town’s only annual fireworks show.
If you are looking for some Christmas decorating inspiration, check out the Nutcracker Museum. This holiday-inspired museum contains over 7,000 examples of the figures, probably the world’s largest collection of nutcrackers!
Food & Beverage
There is a vast array of restaurants to choose from in Leavenworth. You can find a pretzel or bratwurst on almost every corner, but there are plenty of other options available as well.
Start your day with a caffeinated beverage from Argonaut Espresso Bar & Sidewalk Café. This “small but mighty” coffee spot also serves delicious buttermilk biscuit breakfast sandwiches and avocado toast. When you are craving something sweet, head to the Gingerbread Factory for an amazing assortment of cookies.
For an inexpensive bite and a fun beer garden atmosphere, try Munchen Haus. With outdoor heaters, this outdoor restaurant is busy all year long. They have fantastic sausages and pretzels and the selection of mustard is unbelievable. And in true beer garden form, you can enjoy a selection of local beer from Icicle Brewery. Like many other restaurants in Leavenworth, live music is common here.
When you are looking for fine dining, head to Watershed for Pacific Northwest farm-to-table cuisine with a menu that changes daily.
Icicle Brewing Company is the place for local beer. They have outdoor seating with fireplaces built into the tables and indoor seating with games and puzzles. The tasting room offers a great selection of their beer along with small plates and snacks.
There are a variety of wineries right outside of town, like Eagle Creek and Icicle Ridge Winery. If you’d rather stay in town, there are many tasting rooms to choose from to taste the local wine. For something a little harder, Blue Spirits Distilling has a tasting room on Front Street to sample their gin, vodka, whisky, rum, and tequila.
Stay: Nestled on the banks of Icicle Creek, the Sleeping Lady Mountain Resort offers beautiful guest rooms and amenities like hot tubs, onsite restaurants, and snowshoeing trails.
Photo: Icicle TV
