Leavenworth: Welcome to Washington’s Bavarian Village

SUMMER ROAD TRIP, DAY 43

How many times can you say that the minute you stepped into a town, it brought a smile to your face? I’m talking a grin from ear to ear at each new revelation as you walked down the street. For me, it’s only been a handful of times and one of them was entering the town of Leavenworth, Washington.

Leavenworth Washington Bavarian Village

Leavenworth Washington Bavarian Village

Leavenworth Washington Bavarian Village

Capturing the Spirit of Old World Charm

Leavenworth is a quaint village cradled by the Cascade Mountain Range. It is located on the southern section of the Cascade Loop Scenic Byway in central Washington. The almost abandoned logging town was revitalized and redefined in the 1960’s to the Bavarian themed town it is today.

Leavenworth Washington Bavarian Village

Leavenworth Washington Bavarian Village

Leavenworth Washington Bavarian Village

It is saturated with old world charm from the overflowing flower baskets to the darling alpine-influenced architecture. The town prides itself on a true Bavarian experience from culture to culinary treats. We took a walking tour of town then couldn’t wait to dig in to some traditional German fare.

Leavenworth Washington Bavarian Village

Leavenworth Washington Bavarian Village

Leavenworth Washington Bavarian Village

Leavenworth Washington Bavarian Village

First Taste of Germany at München Haus

It’s the beginning of three days here in Leavenworth so we decided to hit the ground running. Beer flows, sausages sizzle and mustard is the talk of the outdoor beer garden at München Haus. Pick up your naked brat and dress it up with whatever you please: relish, apple cider sauerkraut, one of the specialty mustards or all of the above. There are no rules. Why not try 10 different mustards on one sausage!

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“Eating and drinking keeps body and soul together” ~an old Bavarian saying

We washed our brats and potato salad down with locally crafted beers from Icicle Brewing Company. The subtle and smooth Colchuck Raspberry Wheat is the perfect summer beer. Bootjack IPA, the gold medal winner at Washington Beer Awards last year, was another favorite.

Leavenworth Washington Bavarian Village

Leavenworth Washington Bavarian Village

Today was a great introduction to Leavenworth, but we can’t wait for our raft trip along the crystal clear Wenatchee River, the big birthday celebration in a few days and indulging in more local cuisine. Stay tuned.

Know Before You Go

München Haus

  • 709 Front Street, Leavenworth, WA
  • 11am – 10pm
  • Free Live Music, Thursday – Saturday, June – August, 6 – 9pm

Lodging

Festivals

  • January: Ice Fest
  • February: Wine & Chocolate Festival
  • April: Taste of Leavenworth
  • May: Maifest & Leavenworth Spring Bird Fest
  • June: Leavenworth Wine Walk & International Accordion Festival
  • September: Leavenworth Wine Walk & WA State Autumn Leaf Festival
  • October: Oktoberfest
  • December: Christmas Lighting Festival

And so our epic 80 day summer road trip continues – 12 U.S. states, 1 Canadian province and 11 national parks. For the upcoming months, I will be sharing with you our highlights, lowlights, adventures, favorite spots, best tips and our thoughts on three months of road tripping and living in a pop up.  I’ll try to answer any and all of your questions too!  You can also follow our journey via Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Miles Driven: 115

Total Road Trip Miles Driven: 6,920

Average Gas Price per Gallon: $2.67

State: Washington

All States Visited: Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, British Columbia & Alberta Provinces

If you would like to see our full itinerary, start at the beginning here. And Start at Day One here.

Thank you Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce and its associates for hosting us at München Haus. All words and opinions, however, are my own.

Don’t forget to sign up below to be the first to know when a new post comes out so you can follow along on our adventures!

Next: Rafting Trip in Leavenworth

Thanks for following along! Have you been to a themed town like Leavenworth in the U.S. before? What was your experience like?

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Angela E. is a travel writer from the Chicagoland area who has visited all 50 states in the US and has traveled extensively around the world. She is passionate about exploring the great outdoors and hiking in particular. Her love for nature has taken her to some of the most beautiful locations on the planet. She has written extensively about her travels on her own website, Dang Travelers, and has been published in collaboration with other travel websites and multiple visitor bureaus around the country.

21 Responses

  1. Chris Travels

    I have heard about Leavenworth a few years back from a friend who’d visited and actually put a sticky note with an arrow pointing to it on my U.S. atlas (yes, I still love those big visuals) so I wouldn’t forget about it in future travels if I returned to Washington state again. Your pictures and cleverly written write-up have me revved up to experience it for myself…Hope so!

    • Dang Travelers

      I hope you get to Leavenworth at some point. It is absolutely adorable especially in the summer with all the blooming flowers and lively entertainment. We have two more posts coming up about our time here.

  2. Rob Taylor

    I love that you went to Leavenworth! It’s one of our favorite towns to visit in summer or winter! Next time, you’ll need to venture to the underground and have an afternoon at the Cheese Monger… so stinky, so good.

    • Dang Travelers

      I can only imagine a visit in the winter with festivals, lights and hot cider. It is probably so much fun! Adding it to our list of things to get back to. We did stop in the Cheese Monger! LOL so stinky, so good. We tried a few different stinky ones and browsed their selection of craft beer.

  3. Samantha

    Great post! I have never heard of Leavenworth, Washington. How far is it from Seattle? I will be there in September. It looks a like a very interesting, quaint town.

    • Dang Travelers

      It’s about 2 hours and 15 minutes west of Seattle. If you have extra time, I’d recommend it. It’s on the Cascade Loop Scenic Byway and there are many things to see along the way!

  4. william strobolson

    Wow, a real true Oktober fest come to life. The town is beautiful! I cant wait to see the post about rafting.

  5. Erika

    Leavenworth in the summer sounds like a great day trip from Seattle! Especially since the surrounding area is so beautiful. A rafting trip down the Wenatchee River sounds great! I visited in winter and had a lovely time at the tree lighting ceremony while it was snowing.

    • Dang Travelers

      It’s the perfect day or weekend getaway from Seattle for sure. The tree ceremony sounds wonderful! It is probably so pretty in the winter. Thanks for reading

  6. Cristina

    Well, that looks like my type of town :). Love the photos and your story-telling. One thing’s for sure, I need to visit :).

  7. Cristal

    Looking at all that food and beer is really making me want to visit. And also hungry! Love your photos 😀

  8. Mark

    An excellent look at a truly great little getaway spot. I haven’t stayed there in years but your photos make me want to go back!

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