In the early 1960s, Leavenworth was a dying town. The railway had moved its operations elsewhere, the sawmill had closed, and the main street was full of empty shops. So the townspeople came up with a bold idea: they would remodel the whole town in the style of a Bavarian village, to attract tourists. It worked. Today Leavenworth pulls in visitors by the coachload from all over Washington, with half-timbered buildings, painted façades, beer halls, sausage shops and an Oktoberfest that draws huge crowds. It is gloriously kitsch, and it does not take itself too seriously.
The setting helps. Leavenworth sits at the mouth of the Tumwater Canyon, where the Wenatchee River comes tumbling out of the mountains, surrounded by steep, forested peaks that do look a little like the Alps. Icicle Creek, flowing into the river from the south, leads into a dramatic canyon popular with rock climbers, and beyond it lie the Enchantments, a high basin of granite peaks and lakes.
For a food stop, Leavenworth is perfect. The town is full of restaurants serving German food, from bratwurst and pretzels to schnitzel and strudel, as well as cafés, bakeries and breweries. The main street can be very crowded on summer weekends and during the festivals, so a weekday visit is more relaxed.
The ride into Leavenworth along US Highway 2, through the Tumwater Canyon, is beautiful, with the river roaring beside the road and steep, forested walls on either side. The road is good but busy, with tight bends in places. East of Leavenworth, the landscape becomes drier and more open, with orchards and sagebrush. Summers here are hot and dry, with occasional wildfire smoke, and winters are snowy, with the town transformed by Christmas lights. Fuel and services are available in town, and the drier air east of the crest usually means you can peel off a layer here that you needed on the pass.