Years ago, I drove well after dark from Idaho towards Seattle, WA, when I felt
like seeing a fata morgana: A Bavarian village in the middle of nowhere - or better
said the Cascade mountains. Hotels, guesthouses, churches, beer halls, and homes were
brightly lit and the main road was decorated with lots of Christmas Trees.
Skiers arrived back from night skiing and mountain slopes were well-lit. It felt like being in an Alpine village, but sorry to be not able to stay as I had to find my booked hotel in Seattle.
I promised myself to return to this place as soon as I would come back to this area one day -
which was just last month.
Mining of gold and other metals in the nearby Blewett Pass area and the Red Mountain Mining District held promise in the early twentieth century but eventually declined. Lumbering in the area of Lake Wenatchee provided more reliable employment.
Logs were floated down the Wenatchee River to a sawmill the Lamb-Davis
Lumber Company from Iowa, built at Leavenworth in 1904. The town was incorporated in 1906.
Lumber Company from Iowa, built at Leavenworth in 1904. The town was incorporated in 1906.
The temporary boom resulting from mining, the railroad, fruit, and lumbering boosted Leavenworth’s population to 5,500, larger than Wenatchee at the time.
Along with the boom came the usual excesses -- saloons, gambling, and brothels.
During the early 1960s two men from Seattle who lived nearby, inspired the residents to revive Leavenworth as a tourist-themed town. The alpine setting suggested the perfect motif:
a Bavarian Village.
a Bavarian Village.
Theodore H. “Ted” Price and Robert F. “Bob” Rodgers had jobs that took them through Leavenworth regularly. They loved the river and the mountains and often returned to vacation in the area. Bob had been stationed in Bavaria after World War II and loved that mountainous state in southern Germany that had once been an independent kingdom.
After several years of heroic volunteerism and financial sacrifice by longtime residents and crucial outsiders alike, it became successful beyond their imagination, developing into Washington’s second most popular tourist destination, after Seattle.
Even a Starbucks has the Bavarian motto and paintings on its front wall.
The Fall Leaf Festival, Oktoberfest, the Village Lighting Festival, the Bavarian Ice Fest,
The Fall Leaf Festival, Oktoberfest, the Village Lighting Festival, the Bavarian Ice Fest,
Mai-Fest, yodeling and accordion festivals, wine tastings, the Reindeer Farm, the
Nutcracker Museum and other events bring throngs of tourists to Leavenworth.
Nutcracker Museum and other events bring throngs of tourists to Leavenworth.
Leavenworths´ location, a comfortable two-hour drive from Seattle, is an advantage.
Even more compelling is its unsurpassed mountain scenery.
Leavenworth is also a popular destination for hiking, camping, and rafting.
On the Wenatchee River, Waterfront Park is a habitat for ospreys and eagles.
The village is a gateway to nearby ski areas and wineries.
Leavenworth had become a theme town based on Bavarian heritage.
Alpine-style buildings with restaurants serving German beer and food line Front Street.
Although a few Leavenworth residents could claim German descent,
it had to be based on something else: the beautiful alpine setting, so similar to that of
Bavarian towns such as Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Mittenwald, and Oberammergau.
On March 21, 1968, Leavenworth was one of 11 cities to receive an ¨All-American City Award¨ from Look Magazine and the National Municipal League. According to the Leavenworth Echo, Leavenworth “was honored for pulling itself out of a
serious economic slump”.
Read more about Leavenworth and visit soon!
Christmas is a beautiful time there!
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