Touring the Sites of "The Sound of Music"

Written by | Miscellaneous, Travel

The Sound of Music is our family’s favorite movie. We love it so much that during my first trip to Salzburg, Austria, a few years ago, I researched all the important addresses used in the movie and drove to a few of them.

By Edwin Santiago

Palace of Leopoldskron: This historical 18th-century palace and its grounds provided many locations for the movie.

Palace of Leopoldskron: This historical 18th-century palace and its grounds provided many locations for the movie.

The trip took a scary turn when I ended up in the wrong part of town and my car got stuck in a small, deserted, muddy road and it started getting dark and cold.
So when my family and I visited Salzburg for the holidays recently, they suggested we take the official Sound of Music City Tour run by Salzburg City Tours.

The trip, which has been Salzburg’s most popular tour for over 35 years, lasted about 4 hours at only 40 euros per person. It was worth every penny! We all had an amazing time, learning a lot of facts about the movie that were not available online. The guides were very funny, helpful, enthusiastic and knowledgeable (and, yes, we even sang songs from the movie on the drive to the different locations.)

Here are a few highlights of the tour:

St. Gilgen/Lake Wolfgang: This picturesque area was featured in the opening sequence of the movie.

St. Gilgen/Lake Wolfgang: This picturesque area was featured in the opening sequence of the movie.

Nonnberg Abbey: This historical abbey founded in the year 714 was used both in the movie and the true story.

Nonnberg Abbey: This historical abbey founded in the year 714 was used both in the movie and the true story.

Church of Mondsee:  This historical church outside of Salzburg was the location of the movie wedding between Maria and the Captain.

Church of Mondsee: This historical church outside of Salzburg was the location of the movie wedding between Maria and the Captain.

The Gazebo at Hellbrunn Palace: Rolf and Liesl sang “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” and Maria and the Captain sang “Something Good” here.

The Gazebo at Hellbrunn Palace: Rolf and Liesl sang “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” and Maria and the Captain sang “Something Good” here.

Enjoy new highlights of travel photographer Edwin Santiago’s journeys each week.

Last modified: July 27, 2017