If you want to get into the holiday spirit, there is no place better to do so than a visit to Leavenworth, Washington. This Bavarian themed city is located in the central part of Washington State and provides all the necessary ingredients for a fun-filled time during the winter months and holiday season. You’re sure to find plenty of snow, kids sledding in the heart of town, live holiday music, shops serving warm treats, and of course, plenty of Christmas lights.
Leavenworth, WA sits near the eastern part of the Cascade Mountains with the picturesque Wenatchee River running through it. The drive to Leavenworth is little more than a couple hours east of Seattle and provides for a scenic drive. The peak of the Cascades are at 8000 feet, and the decent to Leavenworth will leave you below 1500’. There are many charming shops and restaurants to choose from, with a wide range of events throughout the year to entertain its two million visitors.
After floundering for decades, the 1960s was a time for change in Leavenworth. City leaders made transformational changes that converted the city into what we know today… as a Bavarian-themed village. Leavenworth is Bavarian through-and-through…from the architecture to the merchant’s regalia, you’ll feel as though you’ve been transported thousands of miles away to a mountainous German village.
Popular area activities include: downhill and cross country skiing, river rafting, rock climbing, sledding, golf, fishing and hiking. Outside of Germany, Oktoberfest in Leavenworth is considered one of the largest in the world.
There are a number of great places to stay in and around Leavenworth, including many outstanding B&B’s, some creek and river-side like Run of the River. I stayed just outside of Leavenworth near Wenatchee Lake at the Pine River Ranch (click the link for my review).
Click the following link if you’d like to see more of my pictures of Leavenworth. If you’d like to find out what “the ONE thing” is about Leavenworth, click the previous link. If you live or have been to Leavenworth, please post a comment below on what you like best about the area.







