"Willkommen" to Washington State's own Bavarian village
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- Опубликовано: 30 сен 2024
- Nestled amidst the Cascade Mountains in Washington State, Leavenworth historically didn't have a strong connection to the Old World. But after the railroad re-routed and the lumber mill closed, the tiny town began a process of "Bavarianization" to lure tourists to its alpine scenery. Today the place regularly shows up on lists of top Christmas destinations in America, even drawing millions of tourists all year long. Correspondent Luke Burbank examines how a former boom town gone bust remade itself as a German mountain village.
@VisitLeavenworthwa
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It’s good that the community collectively decided to rebrand their town to tourism rather than a company coming in and rebranding the town which ultimately ruins the livability for locals that is very common in Colorado.
Don't worry, the airBnB market has caused housing prices to skyrocket there. It's better than Colorado, but not by much and not for long.
@@Maoilios12 tell me about it. Sometimes I look to hold out hope during a snowstorm but it’s always $450+ for two nights.
also dont forget their medical system starves their disabled fresh out of surgery if you dont have help dont come here they wont treat you like family
I live on Washington and have been to Leavenworth many, many times. Yet I never knew the history. Thanks so much for a wonderful story!👍👍👍
Isn't there a prison there?
@@tootz1950Maybe you are thinking Leavenworth, KS?
No. @@tootz1950
@@VillelaHN I had a friend who's son was in prison there and she would drive up from San Diego to see him. At first I thought she meant the Kansas one, as anyone would assume. I think it's minimum security.
Same! It’s one of my favorite places to visit! We used to stay at a lovely B&B just outside of town. Unfortunately, Covid closed them down, but we will have to try one of these other places mentioned in the story.
If you can't make it to Washington, Helen, Georgia is another Bavarian-themed village. Kitschy, sure, but charming.
Was just going to mention Helen!
Nearly the same story and beginning. The old town lost the timber industry and looked nearly just like this simple strip town before the hotel friendly dressup.
Leavenworth is about 10 times larger that Helen and that's not exaggerating. Have lived close to both towns.
this is why CBS Sunday mornings is so popular... they show out of the ordinary wonderful things about our country.... having lived in Germany 18 months and visiting Bavaria it is forever in my mind as one of the most beautiful places in the world...the back story makes this one place in the US I will def visit (in the summer, had enough snow in Germany).. what beautiful minds it took to create such a beautiful place...
Washingtonian here, I love that town. One time I drove through omw east late on Christmas Eve, everyone was asleep and it was snowing perfectly. A magical place.
Awww sweet 👀🇺🇸🎄
Yea, it's a great place to visit, especially in the winter.
Leavenworth isn't the same, it's been ruined by over tourism
"Strictest codes in the US" but probably one of the most walkable areas in US!!
Looks like a lovely place to visit for Christmas or Oktoberfest.
I am a Bavarian-American and cannot wait to visit this place!
Bavarian American. Hoch lebe DEUTSCHLSND
Oh cool. Wie kommst es das du nach Amerika gezogen bist?
@@laba1574 Destiny 😉
I was there for one day. I loved 🥰 it. Shame they didn’t mention the drive to get there from Seattle. Just magical.
I understand you can take a train too!
Some of the best rock climbing in the state is right down the Icicle River there too. It was my favorite place to climb when I lived in Seattle from the late '80s to mid-90's. Getting food in town and taking a nice stroll was always a treat for us climbing bum campers.
DNR Washingtonian here -fought the Icicle creek fire-Love the little town! We are just a half hour drive from there.
Don't forget (and I doubt you would) the Index Town Wall.
My family used to camp and fish west of Leavenworth in the Tumwater Canyon in the 60's
and 70's. The Bavarian theme was just taking off then - the bakery was pure heaven. Too many tourists nowadays but I am glad that the little town has survived.
I don’t understand people who say, we loved our stay, “but there’s too many tourists”.
But that’s the point… tourism is good for business. And if a place is enjoyable, more people want to experience it.
@@andrewspielman1921 Too many tourists can still destroy the experience. Even the most beautiful hike becomes mediocre if you walk in a line with hundreds of other people.
@@dagda3000 so what’s the solution then? If tourism is good for business, but at the same time, we don’t want too many tourists? If a place is desirable, people want to visit…
@@andrewspielman1921 The most common solution is to find spots and/or time slots with as few other people as possible.
For example, I went to Madeira in January and it was perfect (needed to postpone my flight for one week due to the weather forecast). If I went in Spring or Summer, the experience would have been less cool due to the way larger crowds.
I understand that this flexibility might not be possible for people with school children and/or only very few vacation days.
I live in Spokane Valley Washington and I been to Leavenworth WA many times with my family
Three words to describe this place . Winter wonder land .
My grandparents lived in Leavenworth during my childhood. We went there 2-4xs per year to visit and have family reunions. My siblings and I could walk to "downtown" Leavenworth from my grandparent's home. Many wonderful memories!!!
I worked in the bakery at Dan’s Food Market at the end of town in Leavenworth. Our boss would rent out part of our parking lot to tourists. He made bank on that move! Finding a parking spot during festivals is a nightmare! It is beautiful, though, during the holidays 🎄❄️
Beauriful story of municipal regeneration.
I wish America had more towns like this
You mean more walkable urbanism?
@@nishiljaiswal2216 Well that, as well as the varied and interesting architecture and a vibrant cultural scene, among other things.
It has 3 I know of. Georgia highlands, Indiana and Washington.
Me too.
the fake town or the walkable town?
SO, the most wholesome theme and motivation for rebranding an entire rural town was bc of a gay male couple!! Beautiful example of why being inclusive and not censoring anyone leads to more love for everyone. More love More love!!
Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas had a lesbian couple at neighbors in Eastern Washington as well.
Yes, proud of those guys! And let’s face it, being a gay couple in the 50s was not easy.
Just goes to show that gay men know how to do kitsch appeal better than anyone else. I bet they would be thrilled to see how their little project has prospered.
Also, this was back when there was nasty discrimination against gay couples. So glad everything worked out!
Figures someone would have to bring homosexuality up, who gives a crap, that’s personal. Geez.
That can be a good concept for many other towns in the USA. Alpine towns and villages are very cozy and exciting.
Loved making day trips here when I lived in Seattle. Some great white water rafting nearby too.
Skiing and mountain climbing too.
I used to live in Spokane and I loved going there.
Leavenworth, Washington has Live cams on you tube
We lived at 411 Front Street in the 50’s. My father, Thomas Mitchell, was a doctor at the Cascade Sanitarium along with Drs. Speer and Hopkins. I remember the steam trains coming by and the aroma of the apple warehouse; Enoch Larsen at Cascade Drug; my mother jumping the curb and driving into the bakery. Great place to recollect both before and after the great transformation.
I love it!
Frohe Weihnachten! 🎄
Please do a segment on Fredericksburg, Texas, that’s an authentic US-German town
There are places like that in Brazil, Argentina, Guatemala, Chile etc. Some that i know have Tyrolean heritage, which is a region of Austria. Interestingly, they share with Bavaria the catholic main religion, while the rest of Germany, generally is protestant.
I live four hours from Leavenworth. I haven't been in years. I need to get back up that way. Its very beautiful there.
Floating down Icicle Creek and the Wenatchee River on inner tubes during the summer is nothing short of breath taking. I’ve done it several times and it’s pure heaven!
The Best German city in America is Frankenmuth, Michigan. They have the largest Christmas store in the world.
Apparently, Georgia has a Bavarian themed town.
Leavenworth is one of my absolute favorite places. I love it so much, I got married there in 2009 and try to get up there at least once a year. October Oktoberfest and the Christmas lighting are amazing.
No way I thought it’s known for their Christmas town. I guess I have to check out the Oktoberfest too.
The hat and toy store was my favorite when i was a young child. I am 48 now.😊
The bigger story is that it was reimagined by a gay couple! Is there a Bavarian gay bar there? There should be….that would be fun
its very hard for the whole community to embrace a new outlandish idea at that time or maybe at any era. but to completely instill a new way of life and culture to save the town is magnificent and indeed a miracle.
Leavenworth is an extremely successful tourist destination - such that I avoid it because it is almost always too crowded! Good for the local merchants, though
Close to where I live it's Hermann, MO. It was a German settlement with people from the Rheinland who even started the vineyards there and still retains that charm.
People love interesting architecture and walkability? Who would have thought?
How amazing this is wonderful what a great story you did to you showed a lot of different aspects. I love how your interview that boy in the beginning he was a good marketing piece. Should do something like this in Minneapolis St. Paul.❤❤
Finally - we need more authentic European heritage, art, architecture in America.
Another case of Gay men of sprucing up dilapidated areas and raising property values. Werk.
We love going to Leavenworth but it is pretty commercial, but then again, you can get some very unique things there and it's even nice in the summer time. Last time we went, we actually walked around a bit more and found some nice surprises in the area. It's really pretty. (from Sandi)
crazy to me that walkable neighborhoods at the time would only be made for tourism reasons
I lived in a walkable town for 55 years. Authentic town, always built that way. Lived near downtown, walked everywhere. My wife didn't get a license or car till 38 when our daughter was born. She biked to work downtown.
Awesome! I'm from Europe and didn't know that such a Town exists in the US! It looks so cozy and cute!
Smart look at Solvang, California too.
Helen, Georgia did the same thing when it was facing hard times.
As a huge cozy mystery fan who gets really into the settings (I'm still impressed by Jess Lourey's ability to construct a whole fictional world of Battle Lake MN with a sleuth librarian, when the real Battle Lake is basically just an intersection and not a library in sight!) it was so cool to realize that the setting of the Sloan Krause mysteries is in fact real! The author of the series Elle Alexander really makes you feel like you're there in the town
Love this! Must go! Love Germany!
It's in America Foo
I live in Seattle and finally made it out to Leavenworth in October. The 2.5 hour drive was gorgeous with all the fall colors and Leavenworth is so much fun! It's a beautiful town with really friendly people. It was a blast. Would love to get there for the holiday season sometime. FYI, if you like beer, Icicle Brewing Company, based out of Leavenworth, has some absolutely extraordinary brews (and great people working there who know and love beer).
Is that town attracts a lot tourists all year round even during spring and summer?
@@BenMonares - absolutely! It's hugely popular in summer. Lots of hiking in the area. Rafting trips. Leavenworth's farmers market. It's a year round destination.
this not even remotely similar to bavaria or switzerland lol
"The town that a gay couple (re)built"
I LOVE Leavenworth! It’s such a fun little town to visit. I feel so luckily to live only a few hours away.
I'm thinking it is close to impossible to get a hotel room because of it's popularity....
Plan far ahead....
And expensive too... I stayed 20 minutes away in Wenatchee, reasonable prices and not a bad drive either.
@@michaelbenson2121Thanks for the tip. Sounds like a good idea...
Staying at the Enzian, the man blowing his horn and breakfast with the snow falling are memories that my children, now in their forties, are trying to repeat with their children. 18 of us will go together in January.
@@vickicarlson553Sounds wonderful.......
I broke my neck and back diving into the river that runs through the town while at a summer camp. The people in Leavenworth were great and the hospital was very nice. Six years later, I have made a full recovery!
I love Leavenworth! I've only been there once several years ago in the summer. It was so beautiful. I bought a cuckoo clock from one of the shops there and a cute little wooden squirrel ornament from a Christmas shop. I want to go back.
Does it also have a soccer team who dominates it's league every freaking year?
Great place! Come visit❣️
My dad used to take my mom's German family there when they came to visit the states back in the 70's. I thought that a bit odd but we all had a good time, the town was cute and the mountains are spectacular!
I live just outside another Washington State tourist town, Port Townsend. The Victorian Seaport. It's a bit less busy and successful, but also a bit more authentic. I've been too Leavenworth many times, but I'd rather live here.
I would love to see also do a store about the Bavarian in California called SOLVANG
Actually Danish in origin/architecture, but yes, Solvang is a charmimg town near beautiful Santa Barbara.
Solvang is actually the inspiration for Leavenworth iirc
Nein. Das ist danisch....solvang. sonnental....nix bayern
Solvang is Danish, and it was actually founded by Danes from Denmark. It’s real, Leavenworth is an invention, but Leavenworth is charming and a story of resurrection to be admired.
Solvang used to be Danish. But people working there are more, and more Mexican. Including food I was there
As a resident, living in a 100 year old house, I can only curse the traffic
Come to Michigan we have Frankenmuth, our little Bavaria AND Holland a taste of the Netherlands. So. WA isn't the only place.
Helen, Georgia is yet another.
Don’t forget new glarus wisc...
@@markhuru Definitely very authentic - we heard Swiss German being spoken when we were in New Glarus.
Leavenworth > Solvang
Fake Village? Looks real to me.
Washingtonian here: Leavenworth is awesome, it’s always bustling as a tourist destination but still has pacific northwest town vibes due to all the surrounding nature. one of my favorite memories was riding the tobogan in town then swimming with friends at the local river - the most pristine water!
Was the film first blood shot in this town itself?
Also that hotel where that man's blowing that horn that's the hotel my family stays at
Ann Osborne Peavey was interviewed and did a great job!
Our family visited the place just a few months before Covid shutdown, for nearly two years, that was our memory of last vacation, we had very good time there.
was just there....ITS AWESOME!
wow, I thought it was Oberammergau
I love this. Thank you!
Born Bavarian living in WA here. The amount of cultural appropriation on display in Leavenworth must be THE most American thing I have ever seen.
The U.S. is a country of immigrants. Of course there are going to be cultural pieces taken from all over the world.
Hah....yeah, and everyone in America thinks Oktoberfest and lederhosen IS all of Germany, all the time....
Don't ruin it please
When I lived in Washington I wish i knew about this!😊 I used to be fluent in German!
Live 30 mins from here. It's a great little town, on weekends parking is a PITA!
Same situation in Helen, GA and the narrow road in bottles up on weekends except the 4 months of off season.
If only all of America was like this.
Philadelphia actually has a neighborhood called " Germantown". And once upon a time German immigrants were the largest immigrant group in the city.
The real Bavaria is where Hitler and National Socialism started.
Real America is the place where people, mostly likely from Asia, came to thousands of years before anyone who looks like you.
@@yvonneplant9434Bavaria hates Hitler, and Hitler hates Bavaria. Bavaria loathes the Vienna man who was out there to destroy Bavarian culture in place of a homogenized "German" culture. Hitler hates Bavaria because it's one of the most independent-spirited German states...
So true, Yvonne!
I can't wait to have a drink
Similar to Solvang in California, where most of the downtown area is all meant to evoke a Danish village.
Would love to check out Leavenworth sometime, though it's apparently next to impossible to get a hotel room there (I checked). I wish more areas in the US had German-style Christmas markets.
(Yes, it's pretend and a bit of cosplay, and no, not all of Germany - or even most of Bavaria - dresses or looks like this. But it looks like fun.)
It’s similar place in CA, the city name Solvang with Danish influenced.
sieht sehr sehr cool aus! LG aus Österreich - das bessere Bayern :P
genau.... und durch die die Städte und Dörfer muss man mindestens 60 km/h fahren weil die Bettler schon 50 km/h schnell sind. LOL
No kid would take a small town over Disneyland. His answer was influenced by what was expected of him.
Did you mention the towns greedy factor? The shops all carry the exact same merch, making it NOT special. By the third shop you start thinking the $20 you paid for mediocre parking is extortion designed around lack of actual economy. Gimmick town. My suggestion, get a group together and charter a bus for the Alpine Coaster, but there is very little about this Bavarian town that is worth the trip. 1%er
we went there a few years ago. I was hoping the shops would have German stuff in them, but most of them sold Russian nesting dolls and run of the mill American toys. the food was okay.
when steam locomotives went away its purpose went away so they rebranded.
My dad's sister, Laverne Tritle peterson, was one of the five original business owners to start the Bavarian village. Or the Bavarian theme. She was the first woman in the city to be granted a business loan. She remodeled the corner building into the Eldeveis hotel and restaurant. Her son, Melvin Wiles, was the owner of the Post office tavern as well as mayor.
How authentic is it from somebody who is Bavarian?
The town is fun because they blocked cars from going in the center and got, music, people selling warm food 😂 it's that easy 😑
Great stuff. Although the lack of foam in the beer glasses at 0:57 is frankly alarming, but the only real visible caveat.
@0:56 are those supposed to be a beer?.. as a german who has relatives in upper bavaria, I can still see this town like a kind of disneyland. They could make better fassade for the main town square and try to get rid off grid. At least I am glad that the whole rebranding project was done by a gay couple, otherwise it could be worse.
How lovely!
Well done folks, no matter what these cultural aspects should be kept alive.
we need to build traditional walkable communities across the usa
I feel like Leavenworth and Frankenmuth, MI need to have a contest to see who can out "Bavarian" the other 😂
Of course it was a couple of gay dudes who saved the town. It doesn’t get more camp than this.
Alphorns are much more swiss than bavarian. 😉
And don't forget Solvang, California.
As a German and American, I love this ❤️🤩
It Looks more like Austria then Bavaria.
How can I get there without a car? I don’t want to drive.
Hazy Hillside, Fortnite Island
Shhhhhhhh! I wish it wouldn't get advertised! Too many people have discovered it! Glad we found it over 20 years ago!