At just over three hours driving time from West Sound, the charming village of Leavenworth makes for a convenient and activity-filled, long-weekend getaway. The drive is very pleasant as it meanders through the stunning North Cascade countryside along the Skykomish and Wenatchee rivers. In addition to the cute, Bavarian-themed city center, there is plenty to keep a couple or a family entertained.
The town’s fun Alpine ethos begs the question — how in the world did it become a Bavarian destination some 5,000 miles from the Black Forest? There’s a story.
Platted in 1893 and incorporated in 1906, Leavenworth became a timber community and a regional office for the Great Northern Railway. When the railway relocated to nearby Wenatchee in 1925, the town started a slow population decline as lumber mills closed and businesses relocated. Much credit for the decision to adopt a Bavarian theme goes to locals Bob Rodgers and Ted Price, who renovated their café in 1960, bringing a Bavarian style to the restaurant. They renamed it The Squirrel Tree, and in 1961 built The Squirrel Tree Chalet Motel, making it the first Bavarian-style structure in the Pacific Northwest.
Rodgers and Price had a vision for the Bavarian theme on a grander scale, so they turned to the now-depressed town of Leavenworth. Serendipitously, the town was seeking to reinvent itself by working with the University of Washington to create a study called “Leavenworth Improvement for Everyone” or LIFE. In 1963, the pair sold the Squirrel Tree to invest in Leavenworth properties and started to remodel the town in its current Alpine vibe, which blossomed to what it is today.
As you drive around Leavenworth, you will see national chains like McDonald’s, Starbucks and Safeway following the script with their logos in a Bavarian caricature font and their buildings with Old World architecture designs and mountain landscape murals. The olde European theme has led to much success.
Today, while the resident population is a mere 2,263 — about the size of Kingston — Leavenworth boasts more than 40 hotels and lodges and even more B&Bs and vacation rentals. The chamber of commerce lists 38 food establishments. Astonishingly, tourism brings in 2 million guests annually, one thousand times the local population.
The town’s shopping and dining are mostly contained in its almost whimsical village center, an easily walked three blocks by four blocks. You’ll find hotels, restaurants, brew pubs and even a Nutcracker Museum. The area is clean, safe and resplendent in its Bavarian theme. During the busy seasons, some of these streets are closed to vehicle traffic, making the walk safer and more pleasant.
Tourism is driven, in part, by the numerous festivals in town. Festival season opens with September’s “Autumn Leaf Festival,” followed by Oktoberfest during the first three weekends of October. From Thanksgiving through February, Leavenworth strings a half million lights in the park for the “Village of Lights” while featuring “Christmastown” with all the holiday trappings, including strolling carolers, ongoing entertainment and, of course, photo ops with Santa. In January, the “Winter Karneval” celebrates a German tradition “dating back to the 13th century.” The festival season wraps up with “Maifest,” signifying spring’s arrival with activities every weekend in May.
Many of the holiday festivals are bathed in the white cloak of snow. Skiing is less than an hour away at either Stevens Pass Nordic Center or Mission Ridge Ski and Board Resort. In town, there is a child-friendly tubing and sledding area called Ski Hill. In the summer, Ski Hill hosts performances from the nonprofit Leavenworth Summer Theater group in a small amphitheater.
While Leavenworth’s festivals focus on the cooler months of the year, summer offers many of the season’s favorite activities including hiking, rafting on the Wenatchee River, paddle boarding and water fun at Lake Wenatchee.
A quick 30-minute drive from town, beautiful Lake Wenatchee is a stunning jewel. The 5-mile-long, narrow lake is glacier fed, crystal clear and set in a canyon of Cascade Mountain peaks. There’s public access to the lake at the family-friendly Lake Wenatchee State Park. Here, you’ll find beach access with a roped swimming area, water toy rentals and a small shop with made-to-order sandwiches and ice cream.
The beach is expansive, clean and very popular for just laying out in the sun. The park also offers biking, fishing, boating and more, making it an ideal summer family day trip destination from Leavenworth. Year-round camping is also available for the more adventurous.
There is also golf at the ready with nearby Kahler Glen Athletic Club near Lake Wenatchee or closer to town at Leavenworth Golf Club. Both courses wind their way through mountain pines, are user friendly and easy on the wallet. And there are many more public courses within an hour’s drive.
With 40 hotels to choose from, where to stay? Well, one of the best is also the first you see as you enter the town from the west. Icicle Village Resort has been a Leavenworth destination property since its opening in 1992. Offering 121 rooms and 40 rental condos with kitchens and room for up to six, two swimming pools, complimentary breakfast, a mini golf course and an on-site wine tasting room, the property is very family friendly. Additional activities include a playground, swing set, barbecues, complimentary bicycles and Adirondack chairs to relax in around the property. Meeting space is available for up to 150.
The grounds are beautiful, well-kept and have a sports court suitable for pickleball, fitness center, spa and ticket box office for the Leavenworth Summer Theater group.
On-site dining at JJ’s Grill has a casual, laid-back setting. A generous and delicious buffet breakfast is included with each room. In addition to the dinner menu offering a tempting mix of steaks, burgers and pasta dishes, JJ’s embraces the town’s Alpine theme with dishes like a Bavarian soft pretzel, fondue, “Big Brat Basket,” German sausage platter, chicken schnitzel and the traditional German “Schweinshaxe” — a pork shank, sauerkraut and spaetzle dish. The food is very good and the dishes very generous. The wine list favors Washington wines and includes some real treats.
While on that subject, a nice bonus on property is the Rocky Pond Estate Winery Tasting Room. The winery is located near Lake Chelan but has tasting rooms in Woodinville and in Leavenworth at Icicle Inn. It offers a five-wine tasting flight, a red reserve or white and rosé flight and six whites or four reds by the glass or bottle. The tasting room also sells a few snack plates to accompany the wines, including an excellent charcuterie board. And the bonus? You can walk back to your hotel room. There are many hotels to choose from in Leavenworth but none that offer more on-site amenities and smiling faces.
The compact but shop-filled downtown is attractive and chockablock full of fun and distinctive, locally owned shops with unique trinkets and gifts.
A fun and lively spot for a pint and a bite while roaming the village is Icicle Brewing Co., which serves several of its locally brewed wines on tap. The owner’s family has a long beer heritage, having grown hops in Washington for more than 140 years. The brewery serves a brief but tasty snack, sandwich and soup menu to pair with your beer. And when the weather cooperates, you can drink and dine outside on a huge outdoor patio on the street where you can people-watch.
When it’s time for fine dining, there are numerous choices, including one of the most popular spots in town, the highly rated Italian restaurant Visconti’s. The cocktails are well made and include a delicious blood orange cosmo and a curative Italian margarita. The menu selection is so appealing that it’s hard to choose, and when you do, the portions are very large. Bring a big appetite!
The town of Leavenworth is such a comfortable and cute destination, and it seems that every person here — guests and locals alike — is always smiling and cheerful. It’s an ideal long-weekend excursion from West Sound. As people say in town, “Holy schnitzel, it’s fun here!”
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