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Why Leavenworth, WA Should Be Your Next Winter Destination!

by Gabby Beckford September 24, 2018
by Gabby Beckford September 24, 2018
Reading Time: 2 minutes

When I first heard that my mother and grandmother wanted to go to Leavenworth, WA, a city supposedly styled as an old Bavarian town, I'll be honest and say that an involuntary groan may have slipped out. 

Well, after only three hours in this quaint little town, I can guarantee that Leavenworth should skip right to the top of your winter visit list.

A Little Leavenworth History

A quick Google search will tell you that Leavenworth was established in 1906 near Wenatchee River in Chelan County, WA. It was the headquarters of the Great North Railroad for twenty years until the railroad was relocated to the town of Wenatchee. This pretty much left Leavenworth cold and kinda pointless, and devastated it's local economy. The city struggled until 1962 when the community started Project LIFE (Leavenworth Improvement For Everybody), and decided to transform the entire town into Bavarian-inspired city.

You have to hand to the townsfolk—they don't do bake sales to raise money, they renovate an entire city to be a living replica of Germany. And that was enough to peak my interest, as we pulled around a curve in the road and saw the full view of the city.


Leavenworth | Packs Light

First view driving into Leavenworth.


When we arrived at 3:30PM we were lucky that the sun was shining and an unhindered view of the North Cascade mountain range that borders the city. With the town bustling with hundreds of people, we slipped into the crowd and began peeking through shop windows and restaurants, dipping our toes into the Bavarian experience.

We admired in the Bavarian-styled buildings with paintings of landscapes or scenery on them, wooden beams, and local shop signs, all covered with a dusting of snow and low-hanging icicles. The entire town was laced with wreaths and red bows left over from Christmas time and the air was filled with screams and giggles of little kids as they ran up nearby hills and sled down them.

Leavenworth, Andreas Keller | Packs Light

Andreas Keller Restaurant

Where to Eat?

We came across an underground restaurant named Andreas Keller and after looking at the menu we decided we had to eat there. We were greeted by a host dressed in traditional Altbayern leiderhosen and frauleins dressed in dirndls. Despite being underground, the restaurant had a warm and inviting environment and felt cozy and light. There were many families with kids enjoying themselves, older couples having a nice dinner, and just tourists getting their Bavarian fix.

Leavenworth, Sitting in Andreas Keller

My grandma and I sitting at our table. Look, we're inside of a wine barrel, right where I belong.

I don't remember the name was of my order, but it was a deliciously moist, breaded pork cutlet with a mushroom sauce. My mother and grandmother had a traditional German meal of spaetzle and schnitzel, and immensely enjoyed it. We finished our meal and paid (of course I had to get a picture with the leiderhosen-ed host and waiter before I left.)

But when we emerged up the stairs onto the street level, Leavenworth had transformed!

[bctt tweet=”Want to go to Europe this winter but can't swing the cost? What if I told you there was an entire Bavarian replica town, in Washington state?” username=”packslight”]

Why Leavenworth Truly Shines in the Holiday Season

You can't see them during daylight hours but all of the wreathes, bows and decorations on the buildings and trees are lined with colorful Christmas lights. The beautiful day time scenery of buildings and mountains had transformed into a night sky of twinkling lights, illuminated trees, and residual merry Christmas spirit. And at this point it was only 5:30PM!

We did more sight-seeing, window shopping, and picture-taking and reveled in the Europeanness of the city before we had to leave.

Leavenworth WA Christmas Light | Packs Light

How can you resist?


A visit to Leavenworth, Washington is to enjoy the historic and cultural feel of being in southern Germany without having to buy the $700 plane ticket. It's a great time for kids, parents, dogs, and (obviously) college students alike, and the biggest issue they seem to have is finding a parking spot because it's so popular. Only a 2.5 hour drive from Seattle, WA and it's completely free unless you decide you want to buy something.

So if you love beautiful European Christmas towns and winter wonderlands, Leavenworth is a can't miss destination!


Have you ever been to Leavenworth, WA? When?
Let me know in the comments!

Leavenworth. A hidden town in central Washington-state, built to look like an old German town, and in the winter transforms into the ideal Christmas town!

Pin me!

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6 comments

Joy Sheehan October 6, 2018 - 1:27 AM

YES! I used to live in WA for a few years and it’s my biggest regret that I never went to see Leavenworth! It was always on my bucket list for Oktoberfest but winter and christmas make it look even more magical!

Reply
Christine October 6, 2018 - 1:11 AM

I had no idea there was such a city in Washington! I’m going to be moving to Washington in a couple years actually, I can’t wait to visit this once I’m there!

Reply
Gabby October 6, 2018 - 9:39 AM

It is so beautiful and it only gets better every year, by the time you move there I’m sure it will be even more spectacular!

Reply
Mary January 2, 2016 - 12:12 AM

Very nice Gabby. So glad you did some research on the town & thank you for sharing your wonderful experience with us. A trip to Leavenworth will most definitely be on my list when I visit the Pacific Northwest.

Reply
Louis December 31, 2015 - 4:11 PM

Glad you liked Leavenworth. Next time you are getting ready for a visit, check our site.

We are tourists who love Leavenworth and created a site to help other tourists find recommendations and see what is happening in town. We’ll be heading there on Saturday.

Reply
Jess December 30, 2015 - 11:59 PM

WOW!!! This is absolutely beautiful! I need to put this on my list of places to go in 2016. Great post and great pictures!

Reply

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Gabby Beckford

Gabby is a multi-awardwinning creator. She is a full-time travel influencer, Gen Z travel marketing expert, and public speaker. You'll find her featured in the likes of Good Morning America, National Geographic, CNNTravel, Forbes, Travel+Leisure, and even the TEDx stage.

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Gabby Beckford is the Creatorpreneur behind Packs Light. She has 500K+ followers across her platforms, Founder of SeekPTO, has given a TEDx talk, and is a 2024 ADCOLOR Influencer of the Year Finalist. She is a digital storyteller and 20-something mogul whose mission in life is to empower women to seek risk, seize opportunity, skip debt, and see the world—ASAP! Read more About Packs Light & Gabby Beckford.

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