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Leavenworth,
Washington is a Bavarian village nestled in a
cozy, narrow valley surrounded by rugged, majestic
mountains reaching 8,000 feet into the sky. This
easily-accessible destination 118 miles east of
Seattle includes snake-twisting rivers, deep azure
lakes and crystal, crashing waterfalls in a
wilderness that's awe-inspiring to tourists.
Located
at the
eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountain Range,
Leavenworth's natural beauty is breath-taking—during
the summer you'll see
lush,
green rolling hills dotted with flourishing apple
orchards (some offer free tours & food samples),
and in the winter, white mountain peaks provide a
magnificent backdrop for festivities in the village.
Approximately 2.5
million visitors flock annually to this paradise
that offers vistas beyond
imagination.
As you enter the
quaint city comprised of 2,500 friendly
folks, you'll recognize a feeling of "Gemuetlichkeit".
The German word that describes coziness
&
comfort is visible
everywhere you look. You'll see it in houses
with pointed peaks and large, wooden over-hang
roofs. On Front Street, charming Gingerbread-style
shops and businesses that face a beautiful park
abundant with trees, bring joy with their
scalloped trim rooflines, intricate folk art cutouts
on balconies, exterior wall murals, window boxes and
barrels filled with a profusion of flowers!
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Washington Fresh |
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Apples |
58.1% |
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Concord Grapes |
39.3% |
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Hops |
70% |
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Pears |
42.6% |
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Red Raspberries |
90% |
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%
of US production
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The village
centerpiece, a 96-foot "Maibaum" or Maypole
dressed in traditional Bavarian blue and white
stripes, is attractive and festive. It depicts the town's history through
neatly-attached placards that document the town's
unique history and significance of logging, railroading,
skiing, mining, dancing, the town band and church.
The maypole
also includes a
plaque that offers a traditional Bavarian blessing
in German. It states: Maibaum steh auf, zum weissblauen Himmi
zoag naug, dass in's zu jeglicher Zeit d'Hoamat
gedeiht.
Translated in
English, it says: Maypole rise to the
blue-white sky, so our homeland may forever prosper.
Each year in May, huge crowds surround this
towering structure as part of the Maifest
celebration that includes costumed dancers, a
parade, bands, food, games and exciting events that
attract thousands of visitors to the village.
The maypole in
Leavenworth was adopted from Bavarian traditions.
Most Germanic countries have a maypole celebration
for Spring, May Day and Midsummer festivities.
Maypole dancing you can see in this Washington
village is a form of folk dance from western Europe
in which dancers perform circle dances around a tall
pole decorated with painted stripes. Many variations
exist, but in Leavenworth, an outer ring forms with
adults holding hands. An inner circle includes
children, each holding a colored ribbon
tethered to the pole; the ribbons are intertwined
around the pole as the children move in pattern.
These young dancers then retrace their steps exactly
in order to unravel the ribbons.
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