You don't need to go all the way to Germany to see Bavaria. There's a whole Bavarian village hiding in Washington state called Leavenworth.

You come here and it feels like you've stepped into Bavaria.

You come here and look at a German village through American eyes. No matter how hard you try to get the perfect shot, something foreign always sneaks in: an American trash can here, a super-wide road there, and the restaurants are blasting country and other English-language music. At least they serve schnitzel and currywurst.

And honestly, it makes sense: the town has nothing to do with Germans. In the early 20th century, it was a lumber mill center with a railroad running through it. But over time, the station and tracks were moved, the sawmill shut down, and people started leaving. In the 1960s, locals decided to turn things around and got really inspired by the California town of Solvang, which was built in Danish style. They decided to do something similar, but with a Bavarian theme instead. Solvang has about 10% Danish population. Leavenworth decided to do it all on their own.

They started with a cafe and hotel in 1965, and gradually remodeled buildings from there. The peak of "Bavarification" hit in the '90s. They passed rules requiring local businesses to mimic German style. Even Starbucks had to redesign its sign.

These days they host 19(!) annual themed festivals here, including Oktoberfest. That's basically every other weekend.

PS. As a bonus, we spotted a waterfall on the way. If you watched David Lynch's series carefully, you'll recognize it :)