Last spring in Salzburg, Austria, I skipped around the fountain outside Mirabell Palace.
Others did too.
Almost 60 years ago, the children of Maria and von Trapp danced around the palace’s Pegasus fountain while singing “Do-Re-Mi,” one of the most famous songs from “The Sound of Music.” .
The film tells the story of the von Trapp family and Maria, a novice nun who tutors their seven children, then (spoiler alert) marries their father, but flees the Nazi regime after the annexation of Austria. It turns out.
City of Salzburg plans to celebrate beloved musical
The film, starring Julie Andrews, was released in March 1965. To celebrate the film’s 60th anniversary, the city is hosting themed tours and events throughout the year.
Pegasus Fountain outside Mirabell Palace in Salzburg.
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From February 6th, the Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron (Leopoldskron Palace) will host an exhibition of objects, memorabilia and film photographs related to the real von Trapp family.
A new audio guide app guides visitors along the paths around the town of Werfen where the picnic scenes were filmed, with the story of the filming told by Nicholas Hammond, who played Friedrich von Trapp in the film.
Throughout the year, the Salzburg Marionette Theater presents special shows featuring the children’s role in the film The Lonely Goat.
The Salzburg Marionette Theater, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, opened in 1913.
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If you love the dirndl dresses worn by the women in the film, the traditional store Salzburger Heimatwerk on Residenzplatz 9 has designed special commemorative costumes to commemorate the film and is hosting a one-off exhibition. We are planning to hold a
According to the city’s tourism marketing organization Salzburgerland, an English-language symposium is scheduled for October 23rd to discuss the relevance and importance of “The Sound of Music” in Salzburg today. That’s what it means. At the Felsenreischule Theater, the panel will include the original cast. In the evening, a themed gala will be held with original music and performances, and cast members will be in attendance.
Later this year, the German-language musical “The Sound of Music” with English subtitles will be performed at the Salzburg Theater. Performances are scheduled for select dates in November and December.
Restaurants such as Stiftskulinarium St. Peter, which bills itself as Europe’s oldest restaurant, will offer special movie-themed menus featuring regional specialties.
A little late to the party, but a Sound of Music Museum is scheduled to open in Salzburg in 2026.
Salzburg movie locations
Mirabell Gardens is one of the many filming locations that tourists can visit in Salzburg. Just beyond the Pegasus Fountain is the rather bizarre Dwarf Garden, which features a mischievous-looking 320-year-old dwarf sculpture that made a cameo in the movie.
To follow the film from the beginning, head to the ancient Benedictine Abbey of Nonnberg, which dates back to 714, where Mary struggled to become a nun. This cloister is located directly below Salzburg’s towering Hohensalzburg Palace. The view is amazing.
A woman sits in the Abbey of Nonnberg in Salzburg.
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From the monastery, follow the Mary’s Way through the arches into the Old Town, past the Salzburg Cathedral and onto the Residenzplatz. There, Maria bathed in a fountain and then boarded a bus to the von Trapp home outside Salzburg.
Other locations within Salzburg include the Mozartstück, the small pedestrian bridge that Maria and the children cross while singing “My Favorite Thing,” and the market you visit at Kayeterplatz. Kayetana Square still hosts a farmers’ market every Friday.
One of the locations featured later in the film is the truly stunning Felsenreitschule. The theater was where von Trapp sang at the Salzburg Festival and is still the venue for the annual festival.
Founded in the 7th century, St. Peter’s Cemetery remains a popular tourist attraction.
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After the performance, the family flees to the cemetery. Although St. Peter’s Abbey is cited as a filming location in the film, most of the scenes depicting the picturesque St. Peter’s Cemetery were shot on recreated Hollywood sets.
For a special treat, why not stay at the Hotel Sacher Salzburg, where Julie Andrews stayed while filming the movie?
Look at the “hill”
This hill, where the music echoes and appears in the film’s opening scene, is located in Germany, just across the Austrian border. The actual location is on private land and the owners are reportedly not keen on tourists. However, there is also a public road that runs along the meadow, so if you really want to see it, it’s worth following the mountain path to get a glimpse.
Untersberg, where Maria and the children had their picnic, is more easily accessible and offers great views of the mountains and Salzburg. It’s often included on Sound of Music tours, but if you’d rather go it alone, it’s about a 20-minute taxi ride.
So what about the von Trapp house? The original family cottage stands in a secluded park at number 34 Traun Street. Once the actual home of the Trapp family, it was later turned into a hotel, but unfortunately it has been closed and the gardens are no longer open to the public. But you can wander around the outside of the grounds and get a glimpse of the real Villa Trappe.
Neighborhoods of Salzburg
In the movie, the house was much grander, a veritable palace. Leopoldskron Palace, located on the shore of the lake, goes by the same name. This house appears extensively in the opening credits and throughout the film.
Leopoldskron Palace was used as the residence of the Trapp family in The Sound of Music.
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Remember when Maria and all her children capsized their boat? Exterior and interior photos of this magnificent palace, built in 1736, show how Frohnburg Palace (now part of Salzburg Mozarteum University) Some of them also starred together. Additionally, Leopoldskron Palace has been converted into a luxury hotel, so guests may remember some of the interiors from the movie.
By the way, the original White Music Gazebo, where the stars often appear in the movies, was relocated to Hellbrunn Palace.
The relocated Trapp Observation Deck is not open to the public.
Source: Prudence Andreia Go
And finally, we headed to the wedding venue. Maria and Captain von Trapp were married in the beautiful St. Michael’s Cathedral in Mondsee, which means Moon Lake. Mondsee is 29 km from Salzburg and can be reached in 40 minutes by bus line 140.
This charming little town is the perfect place to end your trip for a day or two. The mountainous landscape of the lake is perfect for relaxing while listening to “The Story of the Trapp Family Singers” written by Maria von Trapp.
Can’t go to Salzburg?
The von Trapp family fled war-torn Europe and settled in Vermont. Today, the farm has expanded to accommodate lodging at the original Von Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe. With the next best setting and decor to visit in Austria, this hotel is filled with authentic family history.
The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., is just one of many theaters that will be showing “The Sound of Music” in the U.S. in 2025. The musical opens in September and begins touring in December.
