The Hills Are Alive With The Sound of Music

2015 marked the 50th anniversary of the release of ‘The Sound of Music’, one of the world’s best-loved movies. It won five Oscars in 1966, and it’s believed that as many as 70% of overseas visitors travel to Salzburg because of the film. If you’d like to follow in the footsteps of Maria von Trapp, you can take in some of the locations made famous by the movie during your holiday in Salzburg.

Mirabell Gardens

The glorious gardens of the city’s Mirabell Palace were first opened to the public in 1854. It was here that Maria and the children sang ‘Do-Re-Mi’, and jumped up and down the stone steps. Today you can take a stroll along the garden walkways and admire flower beds, manicured trees, sculptures and fountains.

Schloss Leopoldskron

The spectacular lakeside Schloss Leopoldskron is just a short walk from the centre of Salzburg. It was built in 1736 by the Prince Archbishop of Salzburg and was used as the lakeside façade of the von Trapp residence in the ‘Sound of Music’. Head to the opposite side of the lake for fabulous views of this spectacular building.

The 'Sound of Music' Pavilion

In the Park of Hellbrunn Palace is the ‘Sound of Music’ pavilion. It was the setting for Liesl’s rendition of ‘I am 16 going on 17’, and at the time of filming the pavilion was situated in the gardens of Schloss Leopoldskron. It was moved to the more spacious Schloss Hellbrunn after the film was released, to accommodate the many tourists who wanted to photograph it.

Stift Nonnberg

Considered to be the oldest nunnery in the world, Stift Nonnberg is the abbey where the real Maria von Trapp lived as a postulant. Its distinctive red dome is a landmark of modern Salzburg and the church here is one of the most significant in the city.

Mondsee

The aerial views which open the movie were shot in Salzkammergut, Austria’s wonderful Lake District, and in Mondsee, you’ll see the Baroque church which was used to film Maria’s beautiful wedding to Captain von Trapp.

Every Travelsphere holiday offers exceptional value for money. Included in the price are return scheduled flights/rail travel and internal flights, where applicable, overseas transfers and transportation, carefully chosen hotels, many meals and excursions and the services of a Travelsphere Holiday Director or Local Guide.