I Visited Town in US That Feels Like Germany: Leavenworth, Washington

In the late 1800s, this area was booming with a railroad and thriving logging and sawmill industries. A few decades later, the railroad was rerouted, and this area spent decades on the verge of becoming a ghost town.

However, in the 1960s, town leaders made a plan to draw in visitors by modeling Leavenworth after Bavaria, Germany, a popular spot with similarly stunning alpine views.

And so, Leavenworth was fully renovated and reborn with Europe as its inspiration. Today, it is one of Washington’s most frequented tourist attractions.

As someone who lives in the Pacific Northwest, I’d say Leavenworth is a fantastic place to visit all year.

Spring brings sunny days with views of snow-covered peaks, and summer offers plenty of recreation opportunities on the nearby Icicle Creek and Wenatchee River.

In winter, the town sparkles with plenty of fresh snow and thousands of Christmas lights dressing up trees and buildings throughout town.

Fall is my favorite. You can see mesmerizing colors of autumn foliage throughout town while also enjoying pleasantly moderate temperatures. It’s also when the town celebrates Oktoberfest.

When town leaders made the choice to turn Leavenworth into a tourist destination in the 1960s, specific architectural design requirements were put in place.

Every building in the downtown core has either been remodeled or built to match the town’s Bavarian theme.

Many are colorful A-lined buildings with large overhanging roofs, small windows with adorable shutters, balconies with hanging flower baskets.

Strolling through town to admire the details of the charming buildings is a lot of fun.

In 2020, the city of Leavenworth closed its main downtown street to motor vehicles.

It was initially a response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for more room for social distancing on crowded streets, but the closure has stayed in place years later.

This has provided more outdoor seating for restaurants and tasting rooms. I think it’s also made strolling through town more pleasant.

Although this decision means there are fewer parking spaces, there’s still ample street parking a few blocks away, plus several public lots a short walk down the road.

The town has specialty shops devoted to just about everything, including a Christmas store filled with ornaments, one dedicated to hats, one devoted to nutcrackers, and plenty of jewelers.

As you wander the shops, don’t skip The Cheesemonger’s Shop. Cheese lovers will find over 90 different types of cheese, along with a selection of salami, mustards, and crackers.

The soft-iced gingerbread cookies from The Gingerbread Factory in Leavenworth are so good I’d never even try to recreate them at home — and I’m a former bakery owner.

The soft, flavorful heart-shaped gingerbread cookies with frosting and rainbow sprinkles are the perfect treat for enjoying in the downtown park or taking home.

The shop, which has been open for nearly 40 years, also makes plenty of other goodies, including gingerbread people, cupcakes, and incredibly intricate gingerbread houses.

As a Bavarian-themed town, multiple restaurants serve German food and giant soft pretzels.

The best spot I’ve found to sit and enjoy a pretzel is at München Haus beer garden. It only has outdoor seating, but there are fire-pit tables and heaters to keep visitors warm on chillier days.

Menu highlights include a warm pretzel with a side of cheese sauce made from Washington’s Beecher’s cheddar, Bavarian sausages, a wide array of mustards, and plenty of options for beer on tap.

Just a few blocks from downtown is Waterfront Park, a stunning accessible space to take a stroll. True to its name, most of the park’s trails are along the waterfront.

In summer, you can watch people floating or paddleboarding the Wenatchee River. In fall, spot spawning salmon and take in all the golden autumn hues of the trees.

You could easily spend a whole day or weekend in downtown Leavenworth, but the area is also a major destination for hikers, rock climbers, and those who love whitewater rafting.

Even just five minutes from downtown is one of the most accessible hikes in the area, the Old Pipeline Bed Trail. It’s a relatively flat 2-½-mile trail along the Wenatchee River.

It makes for a nice escape into nature just before heading into town for lunch or dinner.