This Washington village feels like stepping into a picturesque snow globe.
Eagles zoom over a European House of Tudor - style settlement serve German solid food , beer , and dessert , while the distinctly playful sound of polka music drift from the downtown gazebo where Lederhosen - clad musician perform . receive to Leavenworth . A quaint alpine town in Washington where you might think you ’ve stumbled into a Bavarian - themed snow orb — stein and schnitzel in hand .
light in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains and surrounded by towering snowcapped elevation , the vacation vibration is strong in this small enclave known as Washington ’s cozy city , where theNutcracker MuseumandLeavenworth Reindeer Farmstay open year - round .
With sled rides , saunter caroller , and random Santa sightings , Leavenworth is awash in Christmas feel . Every winter , from Thanksgiving through the last day of February , the tiny town of about 2,200 mass glow with afree displayof more than half a million lights from 6 am to 11 pm daily . visitant lean to drop down off after the holiday so if tourist crowd are n’t your matter , just wait until after the New Year to visit . Either way , bring your estimable wintertime paraphernalia , because the heart-to-heart - air village ambience is part of the magical spell , and while it ’s fine to be nippy , being uncomfortably cold could ruin your trip .
Anjelika Gretskaia/REDA/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
An outdoor recreation destination year - pear-shaped , Leavenworth is surrounded by world - class skiing and some of the nation ’s most popular climbing itinerary , as well as many miles of tramp track in the Okanogan - Wenatchee National Forest and watersports on the Wenatchee River and Lake .
Travel Time
2 hours , 30 second from Seattle
Getting there
From Seattle , it ’s a picturesque , two - and - a - half hour drive via either Interstate 90 or Highway 2 . While the roads are typically keep clean in the wintertime , it ’s always a good idea to fit the atmospheric condition forecast and route reports before heading out . Amtrak also offers caravan servicefrom Seattle to Leavenworth with stunning view of the Puget Sound , Cascade Mountains , and Snohomish River Valley .
Once you arrive , there are plenty of services , including foodstuff stores , gas stations , and public fare , and thanks to municipal codification enacted in the 1960s , nearly every building within city limits , even metro , look like it come out ofThe Sound of Music .
If you don’t do anything else: Visit The Cheesemonger’s Shop
At the bottom of a outrageous flying of stairs underneath Front Street , you ’ll find a tiny stone basement shop reminiscent of the erstwhile area , where you could blow your full food budget on an amazing selection of high - calibre cheeses and epicure solid food imports . Foodies will fuck the variety of German sausages , like Bratwurst , Bockwurst , Knockwurst , and Wieners , as well as spell and domestic cheeseflower like fine Swiss , creamy Cheddar , and tangy Blue . The Cheesemonger ’s Shopalso carry a selection of German beers , English Ales , and Washington wines . But their best feature just might be the friendly , knowledgeable faculty , and the unselfishness with which they pass out tasty samples .
Fill your days:
Strolling the village
There is so much to do and see in downtown Leavenworth that it ’s deserving your clip to drop a duo of hours window shopping , pretzel snacking , and people watching , as December tends to appeal all sorts of wacky visitors , like Krampus , the Grinch , Buddy the Elf , Santa , Mrs. Claus , and more . So stop byThe Gingerbread Factoryand warm up with a red-hot chocolate , or , if you ’re feeling risque , catch a hot buttered rummy atDucks and Drakesbefore getting your steps in and tour the 1.25 - square - Admiralty mile small town . Some fun highlights let in theNutcracker Museum , A Book For All Seasons , and theKris KringlChristmas store .
Skiing, naturally
If you want to play in the snow without the monetary value or the driving out to Mission Ridge or Stevens Pass ski surface area , stop bySki Hilljust outside of town for skiing , sledding , snowshoeing , and fatty biking . tend by the Leavenworth Winter Sports Club , this small ski area offers one moving carpeting , two rope tow , five mile of Nordic trails , and a bobwhite in a Pyrus communis tree diagram . Ski Hill is located less than two miles from downtown Leavenworth at the end of Ski Hill Drive in the Wenatchee National Forest . Full - day adult toss start at $ 31 .
Getting up close with reindeer
You simply have n’t lived until you ’ve fulfil Sven and his ruck of well-chosen Greenland caribou . This dulcet cluster of tame Caribou roams the family - runLeavenworth Reindeer Farmjust one air mile outside the village , where you’re able to bring together them up - close , touch their antlers , prey them from the palm of your hand , and palpate their furry noses . If you ’re prosperous , they may even put in a dear Son with Santa . For $ 25-$40 per soul , you may take a hitch of the farm , get picture , and assemble fill out the campfire to con about this iconic animal – a protected species in the lower 48 .
Where to eat and drink in Leavenworth
Fancy farm - to - tabular array : Watershed Cafe . Beer : Do n’t skip the dry pint poured over atIcicle Brewing Company . German fare : What , you arrive for the holy terror ? In that typeface , do n’t missMünchen Haus , where grillmasters make magic with Jalapeno , veggie , part - veal , and all - pork sausages topped with orchard apple tree cider sauerkraut and a sideboard of mustards . If the principal align , you might get a prat near a heater . afters : handmade ice cream atWhistlepunkis a must .
Where to stay in Leavenworth
With an avalanche of lodging option , it ’s easy to find a place to stay among hundreds of hotel room flop in the small town , as well as several more unique alternative in the surrounding area . For budget - witting travelers who need their own unique space and do n’t mind a 30 - minute drive , there ’s theTiny House Villageat Leavenworth RV Resort – five individual home under 300 - square fundament and $ 150 per nighttime before tax , each with its own distinct Bavarian theme .
TheSleeping Lady Mountain Resortcomes complete with restaurant and watering place and is a flake closer at just 10 minutes outside of townspeople . This privy pickup offers 58 rustically refined hotel suite , as well as three unambiguously designed cabins , with rates starting at about $ 250 per night . Both options are locate in beautiful , forested surroundings gross for those wintertime snaps .
Anjelika Gretskaia/REDA/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Courtesy of the Cheesemonger’s Shop
Ski Hill|Courtesy Icicle TV
Courtesy. REDA/Getty Images
