A Bit of Bavaria in Leavenworth, Washington

Leavenworth, Washington is filled with Bavarian architecture, food, beers, gifts, home décor, winter wonderland activities, and clothing. Leavenworth is just a short 2 hour drive through enchanting green forests and lowlands from Seattle, Washington. Snow season comes early to the Cascade Mountains, so be sure to be prepared for winter driving and take your time wending your way to Leavenworth, Bavaria in Washington.

Leavenworth is a busy hub of holiday activity, so get your reservations early if you want to spend a night or a few nights.

WHERE TO STAY:

A great place to stay in Leavenworth is Obertal Inn. The Obertal Inn has 27 really comfortable rooms and suites, and is one of the few lodgings in the area that accepts pets. Close to everything, the Obertal Inn also offers free Broadband Internet Access, an activities map, and free parking. http://www.obertal.com .

Recently (and tastefully) remodeled, Sonnen Suites, http://www.sonnensuites.com, currently has nine very nice suites and is located in 'downtown' Leavenworth, close to shopping, sightseeing and dining. In the wintertime, you can cross-country ski right outside the Das Sonnen Haus building on the Leavenworth Golf Course Trail, maintained and groomed by the Leavenworth Winter Sports Club., then head back to warm yourself and relax near the cozy fire.

WHAT TO DO:

Shopping -

Of course, in 'Bavaria', and all through the year, Nutcrackers are reminiscent of Christmas dreams, and in Leavenworth, you will find handcrafted and handpainted nutcrackers of every description. I have a frog nutcracker, a female toy soldier nutcracker, and several unique nutcracker ornaments from Leavenworth. Speaking of ornaments, there is an amazing little shop that sells exquisitely handcrafted Christmas Tree ornaments, Kris Kringl, also has online shopping at http://www.kkringl.com. I found my treasure at Kris Kringl, when poking through shelves full of ornaments, when I spied a Christopher Radko Limited Edition Santa Ornament I just had to have, 'A Wink of His Eye'.

Along with this charming shop, Leavenworth has shops offering everything from Christmas decorations to quality clothing - luxurious wool sweaters, dirndl skirts for girls and women, authentic leather leiderhosen (I tried to get my 6 ft tall husband to wear them, but he said, well - he said a bunch of things, but the end result was a resounding 'NO WAY!'), to handmade wooden puzzles and toys for the kids. Spend a few hours just wandering through Leavenworth, and be sure to take your ATM card, you are sure to find many things you will want to take home!

Special Events -

Christkindlmarkt, the premier German style Christmas Market, is fantastic for oldsters and youngsters both. The weekend after Thanksgiving, the entire Front Street Park is loaded with booths full of food, crafts and art! Build your own lantern at the Lantern Workshop, and then join the procession in the Lantern Parade, both Friday and Saturday nights. There is continuous, live traditional holiday music throughout the weekend, and be prepared for some awesome handbell music, too! There was a young boy, with a guitar that nearly outsized him, with the sweetest, purest voice I have ever heard, playing Christmas carols. There were enormous alpenhorns and a cappella singers that were amazing.

From street vendors and booth merchants, grab a steaming cup of hot chocolate and a slice of strudel, or for adults, a mug of Gluhwein (mulled wine) and a fruit studded stollen. Germans enjoy Glühwein or "Glow Wine" quite a bit around Christmas and New Year's Day. A favorite place to sip a warming glass is outside at the Christmas market.

From the German Embassy, a recipe for Gluhwein:

MULLED WINE (Glühwein)
(makes 24 glasses)
Ingredients:
2 bottles red wine
1 cup sugar
3 cups water
1 lemon, sliced
20 whole cloves
6 to 8 cinnamon sticks
1 orange, sliced for garnish
Directions:
Mix water, lemon and spices and simmer for an hour. Strain. Heat but do not boil the red wine. Add wine to hot water mixture. Ladle into cups and serve with half a slice of orange.

Sleigh Rides -

Sleigh bells really do jingle at these fun family adventures! My favorite is the Dinner Sleigh Ride package at Mountain Springs Lodge, just a short hop out of town. The sleighs are drawn by huge horses and led by experienced guides. After your sleigh ride, Mountain Springs Lodge can easily boast the most scrumptious after-sleigh-ride meal in the Cascade Mountains! The restaurant at the lodge, called Beaver Creek Lodge, has a huge river rock fireplace, giving you a toasty and tasty dining experience. The menu includes absolutely melt-in-your mouth Black Angus prime rib, salmon, and a selection of Pacific Northwest wines, along with the standard accompaniments. They also have a pretty fun Breakfast Sleigh Ride package where you actually help feed the horses from the sleigh. All sleigh riders are provided with cozy warm blankets and hot apple cider. Reservations, http://www.mtsprings.com.

Also, Red Tail Canyon Farm - http://www.redtailcanyonfarm.com, Eagle Creek Ranch - http://www.eaglecreek.ws, Icicle Outfitters - http://www.icicleoutfitters.com, and The Squirrel Tree Mountain Resort - http://www.thesquirreltree.com.
A sleigh ride through these snow-covered hills and valleys, followed by a hot toddy (with or without the toddy part) is a wonderful way to get into the holiday spirit!

Great Eats -

Authentic German and Bavarian foods abound in Leavenworth, all right on Front Street, in the middle of all the activity and fun!

King Ludwig's, is famous for not only its Schweinshax'n (roasted broiled pork hocks) and Rotkraut (red cabbage sauerkraut), beautiful handpainted wall murals throughout the restaurant, and the only covered dance floor in Leavenworth, but even more famous, is the hospitality of the wait staff and management at King Ludwig's!

For a little more casual dining experience, try Munchen Haus, for some of the finest and tastiest sausage anywhere! One of Helga's Giant Kielbassi on a nicely toasted bun (beef, pork and Polish varieties), a generous scoop of German Potato Salad, and a smooth dark beer makes a great meal!

And then for an upscale, elegant dining experience, Café Mozart. Touting fine European Cuisines in the Viennese style, Café Mozart has an appetizer I would love to eat every night: Cold Smoked Norwegian Salmon, served on a potato pancake, with sour cream and thinly sliced red onions! It is a 'killer' appetizer!

Well, now that I have worked up an appetite for both fun and food, I think that I will be heading back to Leavenworth, Washington very, very, soon! Take a weekend or a week, and enjoy Leavenworth, a little bit of Bavaria!