Experience the best of Leavenworth

After the railway moved out and the mill closed, the town rebuilt itself in the 1960s with Bavarian-style timber fronts, murals and flower boxes along Front Street, where a gazebo, beer halls and shops sell nutcrackers, steins and sausages. A museum of nutcrackers holds thousands of examples from around the world.

The Wenatchee River runs through town, with parks and rafting in spring, while Icicle Creek leads into the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, where the Enchantments, a granite basin of lakes and larches, are among the most prized hikes in the state. Stevens Pass lies to the west, and Lake Wenatchee State Park is a short drive north-west.

Bratwurst, pretzels, strudel and German beer are served in the town's beer halls and bakeries, and Oktoberfest and the Christmas season fill the streets with lights and music. Larches turn gold in the mountains in October, and snow makes the village look like its alpine model in winter.