Leavenworth
A dying Washington railroad town that voted in 1962 to rebuild itself as a Bavarian village, and did.
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The railway moved its operations out in the 1920s and the sawmill closed, and by the late 1950s Leavenworth was failing. In 1962 two businessmen proposed a full Bavarian restyling on the argument that the Cascade setting could pass for the Alps; the town committed, refaced every building, and the ordinance requiring it still holds - including the petrol stations and the supermarket. It worked completely: the town now takes well over a million visitors a year. The Christmas lighting festival in December is the peak, when the whole centre is lit and accommodation across the valley fills. There is also a nutcracker museum with several thousand of them, and the Wenatchee River runs through for rafting.
What you actually see
- A whole town refaced from 1962 - by ordinance, no exceptions.
- The December lighting - the peak of the year.
- A nutcracker museum - several thousand of them.
- The Cascades around it - hiking and rafting in summer.
When to go
December for the lights; May to September for the outdoors. Half a day.
Honest expectations
December weekends are extremely crowded and US 2 over the pass can close for snow. It is a theme applied in 1962 and does not claim otherwise. Parking is difficult in season. Prices are tourist-level.
Nearby
Lake Wenatchee is north-west; Stevens Pass is west.
What to pack for Leavenworth
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.