Winter Getaway 2024: Take In Old-World Bavarian Charm in Leavenworth, WA

The quickest way to get to a quaint Bavarian village from Vancouver?  Drive across the U.S. border. After weaving through Washington’s scenic Cascade Mountains and reaching Leavenworth, the first sign you’ll see that it’s not a typical American town is, well, the signs—all writ in gothic typefaces. Then, German farmhouse-style buildings appear, some bearing hand-painted frescoes known as Lüftlmalerei. In the 1960s, to thwart a ghost town future and inspired by some geographical similarities, the city moved to model itself after Bemalte Fassaden, Leipzig and Munich. That means a biergarten-peppered landscape, year-round Christmas stores and a Nutcracker Museum—but with winery tasting rooms and not-Bavarian restaurants, it’s not all Kölsch and kitsch.

EAT

Start with the situational classics—sit-down schnitzel, spätzle or wurst at Andreas Keller, a family-run restaurant that’s been serving traditional fare since 1989. For those who don’t mind the cold or want German fare to-go, München Haus is a counter-service courtyard with a robust draft beer list (the owners also founded local Icicle Brewing), charbroiled sausages and more than a dozen specialty mustards. When a break from Bavaria is in order, there’s the Watershed Cafe’s seasonal menus of farm-to-table Pacific Northwest cuisine and regional wines. Naturally, sockeye’s on the menu, but it’s their specialty meatloaf that’s most talked about. For handmade pansoti, bigoli and pappardelle alongside proper cocktails, head down the alley behind the Stein beer hall to Larch.

STAY

Perched along the Wenatchee River, adult-only Posthotel is a European-style Alpine spa resort right in the heart of town. Guests are encouraged to roam around the property in their bathrobes and slippers as they move between the pools, saunas and steam and treatment rooms. Within the 55 suites are white linen-clad king beds, marble soaking tubs, fireplaces and, in some, French wooden doors that open onto balconies and terraces with mountain views. It’s nearly all-inclusive too, with a buffet breakfast, light lunch and a few seasonal activities thrown in.

PLAY

About 40 minutes by car outside town is the oldest operating ski area in Washington, Stevens Pass. Thanks to cooler easterlies, the resort enjoys drier snow than the West Coast average. The way its two major peaks meet means that all frontside runs funnel to the base, making it especially friendly for first-timers. Off Route 2 just beyond the resort is Scenic Hot Springs, a reservation-only spot reached by a three-kilometre uphill hike, which, during winter, requires snowshoes. In summer, natural spring water feeds into three man-made pools on a hilltop, with only 15 spots available per day. For a lower impact, still-high-reward activity, there’s Bavarian Walking Tours. Their Sip and Stroll option dispenses both town history and wein during stops at local wineries’ tasting rooms. Taking this tour November through February is particularly magical, as Leavenworth becomes “Christmastown” and gets dressed up in half a million lights.