Sound of Music film locations in Salzburg
Salzburg, Austria has become one of “My Favorite Things”, it offers a delightful journey through the landscapes that captures the magic of “The Sound of Music”.
In this post, I’ll share tour options and give a detailed itinerary for those wanting to explore “The Sound of Music” sites on your own.
The world premiere of “The Sound of Music” was on March 2nd,1965 at the Rivoli Theater in New York. The film was sold out for weeks, and during this time the city of Salzburg became famous worldwide. Since then “The Hills Are Alive” with the sound of tourists reenacting scenes from “The Sound of Music”. Fans still flock to Salzburg to “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” while singing “Do Re Me”…
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During our first visit to Salzburg, we booked “The Original Sound Of Music Tour”. Our tour guide asked trivia questions and showed movie clips. My favorite part was when the entire bus belted out in unison singing, “Do-Re-Mi” and “Edelweiss”! This tour takes you to the beautiful lake district stopping at Mondsee to visit the church where the Von Trapp wedding scenes were filmed.
You can purchase your tickets here:
The Original Sound of Music Tour Tickets
Hallstatt & Sound of Music Tour from Salzburg
Sound of Music & Salt Mines Tour
Vienna to Salzburg Sound of Music tour
If you don’t want to join a tour you can do a self-guided walking tour of “The Sound of Music” filming locations. Most sites are within walking distance except for a few that are outside the city.
Mirabell Palace and Gardens:
Address: Mirabellplatz 4, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
“Let’s start at the very beginning a very good place to start😆.” Begin your self-guided tour in the stunning Mirabell Gardens, where a few of my favorite scenes were filmed. This baroque garden was built in 1606 by the archbishop Wolf Dietrich for his mistress. It’s a beautifully landscaped garden filled with gorgeous flowers, fountains, marble statues, and opportunities to reenact scenes from the movie.
Don’t miss these Filming locations in Mirabell Gardens:
1: In the first scene Maria and the children danced around the Pegasus Fountain while singing “Do-Re-MI”.
2: Next, they ran through the vine tunnel at the Western end of the gardens.
3: Then the children pose like statues In front of the Greek Fencing Statues.
4: Near the Horse Fountain across a small footbridge is the Dwarf Park, keep a lookout for the dwarf wearing glasses. During “Do-Re-Mi” each child pats his head.
5: Maria and the children hop up and down on the steps to Rose Hill (Rosengarten), just north of the Pegasus Fountain (Pegasusbrunnen) singing “Do-Re-Mi”, with views of the Hohensalzburg Fortress in the distance.
6: Hohensalzburg Fortress:
In the background of this scene, you see the Hohensalzburg Fortress which sits atop a small hill overlooking the city. The castle is one of the largest and most well-preserved medieval castles in Europe built around the 11th century. You can take a self-guided tour and learn more about its history. Walk up or take the Fortress Funicular. Buy Fortress tickets here.
Fun fact: Mirabell Palace is where Mozart would play private concerts as a child
Hotel am Mirabellplatz:
Address: Paris-Lodron-Straße 1, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
The child actors playing the Von Trapp children stayed in Hotel am Mirabellplatz. Charmian Carr (who played Liesl) was 21 so she got to stay with the adults at the Bristol.
Hotel Bristol:
Address: Makartplatz 4, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
Christopher Plummer and Charmian Carr (Liesl) stayed at Hotel Bristol not far from Mirabell Palace. Plummer spent many nights playing the piano at the hotel bar. Legend has it that the crew ran up a huge bar bill. This was also where the wardrobe and makeup for the movie were stored.
When I learned that Plummer and Carr were in the same hotel, I researched to see if they were an item. Charmian Carr, who played Liesl was twenty-two at the time. In her autobiography, she says she was attracted to the 35-year-old Christopher Plummer, who played her father. Plummer admitted that the feeling was mutual, but insisted that it didn't go beyond mere flirtation. 🤔
On an Oprah “Sound of Music” reunion, Carr said he took her along to a few Austrian bars during filming. When Oprah asked if she learned anything from Plummer, Carr replied: “Yes, I learned how to drink.”😆
Salzburg Marionette Theatre:
Address: Schwarzstraße 24, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
The Salzburg Marionette Theatre is the inspiration behind the scenes when Maria and the children perform “Lonely Goatherd” with puppets on a ministage inside the Von Trapp Family’s ballroom. This theater has a “Sound of Music” marionette stage version of the original “Sound of Music” Broadway musical.
Hotel Sacher:
Address: Schwarzstraße 5/7, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
This is where Julie Andrews and her daughter stayed, away from the noise of the partying members of the cast and crew. At the time the hotel was called Österreichischer Hof then. Friedrich (Nicholas Hammond) turned 14 during the shooting, he had his birthday party in the reception room.
Winkler Terrace:
Address: Am Mönchsberg 32, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
On the side of Mönchsberg (Monk’s Hill) are beautiful views of Salzburg. This was once home to Cafe Winkler but now it’s the location of the Museum of Modern Art. Two scenes were filmed here. The first is when Maria leaves the abbey to live with the Von Trapp family. She is seen strolling along the terrace with her luggage, singing the first lines of the song “l Have Confidence”.
Maria and the kids sang “Do-Re-Mi” with the most beautiful view of Salzburg below.
You can eat at M32, a stylish gourmet eatery with a to-die-for view, adjacent to the Museum of Modern Art.
To go up to the terrace you have two options: It’s a quick 15-20 walk or you can take the electric Monchsberg lift, for a fee.
Pferdeschwemme (Horse Pond):
Address: Herbert-von-Karajan-Platz 11, 5020 Salzburg
Built-in the 17th century to wash the horses of the prince-archbishop, the Horse Pond was featured in the movie as a backdrop to Maria and the kids singing “My Favorite Things”.
Felsenreitschule (Rock Riding School):
Address: Felsenreitschule, Hofstallgasse 1, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
This is the venue used when the Von Trapps sang at the music festival. Fans will recognize this filming location from the scene where the Captain sings “Edelweiss” (rumor has it that Plummer was drunk during the filming of this scene) and his family joins him on stage to sing “So Long, Farewell”. They won the first prize but fled from the Nazis before receiving this award.
It was initially built to be a cathedral but was later repurposed by the archbishop into a riding school where tournaments were held. The Salzburg music festival is a centuries-old tradition, and many of the events still take place in this 17th-century amphitheater. The real Von Trapps won the Salzburg Music Festival in 1936. This was two years before the Nazis annexed Austria. The Von Trapp family escaped Austria by boarding a train in their backyard.
Domplatz:
Address: Domplatz 1a, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
The Domplatz (Cathedral Square) first appears in “The Sound of Music” when Maria exits through the arches. It can also be seen during “My Favorite Things” when Maria and the children run across the square in their playcloths made from Maria’s curtains.
Mozartsteg (The Mozart Footbridge):
Address: 5020 Salzburg, Austria
This is a small pedestrianized bridge, connecting the Old Town of Salzburg with the left Salzach bank. It is named after the famous composer and Salzburg native Mozart.
The Mozart bridge was made famous from the scene where Maria and the kids skip across singing “My Favorite Things” before stopping to enjoy the view of the city.
My friends and I recently did a private “Sound of Music” tour from Munich. We flew into Germany to do a Christmas Market river cruise. Salzburg is so close, I knew we couldn’t miss a “Sound of Music” tour and the Christkindklmarkt in Residenzplatz. I was so excited to return, I fell in love with this dreamy city back in 2004 on our first visit.
Salzburg tour from Munich: A guide will take you on a train ride from Munich to Salzburg.
Residenzplatz (Residence Square) & Fountain:
Address: Residenzpl. 4, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
Situated in the center of Salzburg's old town is Residence Square (Residenzplatz), the most impressive square in Salzburg. There is also a 45-foot-tall Horse Fountain. A few scenes were filmed here in this square. Maria and the children ran across the square when they were exploring the city wearing their play clothes and singing “My Favorite Things”. It’s also the location where Maria sings “I Have Confidence in Me”, and splashes water in the fountain. The Nazi soldiers also march through the square later in the movie and hang their flag over the entrance of the Old Residence Palace.
We were there for the Christkindklmarkt, one of the world’s oldest advent markets. The fountain is hidden behind the market stands. We loved this Christmas Market!
St. Peter's Abbey and Cemetery:
Address: Sankt-Peter-Bezirk 1, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
The cemetery at St. Peter’s Abbey inspired the scene where the family hides in the dark recesses of the cemetery after singing in the music festival. This scene was filmed in Hollywood but don’t miss this unique cemetery, it’s one of the oldest cemeteries in the world and is Salzburg’s oldest Christian cemetery. It houses some of the wealthiest and most notable families in Salzburg’s history including Mozart’s sister. One of the most unusual things about this Cemetery is you are not able to buy plots, you can only rent them. Families pay rent for the plot every ten years, as well as serve as caretakers. It’s near the catacombs which are also worth a visit.
The catacombs carved out of the rocks of Monchsberg provide a stunning view over the beautiful cemetery and should be visited during your Sound of Music tour in Salzburg.
Nonnberg Abbey:
Address: Nonnberggasse 2, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
A short walk from St. Peters Cemetery is Nonnberg Abbey. It’s on a hill overlooking Salzburg. The views from the abbey are breathtaking.
Take a look inside, it’s beautiful! This is the real abbey where Maria was a novitiate. In 1927, Maria Auguste and Georg von Trapp married in the Nonnberg Abbey Church. However, in the movie, the wedding took place in the church in Mondsee. The movie set for the convent was recreated in Hollywood.
The entry gate is used in the scene where the children visit and try to convince Maria to come back to be their governess. In the movie, Liesl pulls a bell at the gate, but the bell is no longer there. This was also where the prayer scene was filmed. Every morning at 6:45 a.m. you can come and listen to the choir sing, similar to what can be heard at the beginning of the movie.
Tours in Salzburg:
Cookies and Apple Strudel Cooking Class Including Lunch
Salzburg Cathedral: Organ Concert at Midday
Salzburg 2.5-Hour Walking Tour: Mozart, Old Town & More
Best of Mozart Fortress Concert and Dinner
Mozart Concert at Mirabell Palace
You’ll need to drive to the following film locations:
Leopoldskron Palace:
Address: Leopoldskronstraße 56/58, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
The filming location of the Von Trapp family home is now Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron. The hotel is a beautiful 18th-century palace and was used as the back exterior of the Von Trapp family home. This was the location for the scene when the children fell out of the boat. There was a small mishap while filming this scene. Kym Karath, the actress who played Gretl, couldn’t swim and jumped into the water from the wrong side of the boat. She had to be rescued by the assistant director’s son. Staying overnight is the only way to visit the film location up close and to get a peek into the Venetian ballroom (rebuilt in Hollywood for the interior scenes). You can view the back of the Palace at a distance from the west side of the lake.
Schloss Frohnburg Palace:
Address: Schloss Fronburg, Hellbrunner Allee 53, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
Schloss Frohnburg is a beautiful 17th-century home and is where they filmed the shots depicting the front of the Von Trapp home. Once a private residence, the palace is now a Music Academy. The facade is where Maria first sets her eyes on the Von Trapp family home towards the end of the song “I Have Confidence”. The Palace was also featured in the scenes when the Captain rips the Nazi flag from above the doorway and during the family’s attempt to escape from the Nazis by pushing their car silently out of the gate. The back-of-the-house scenes were filmed at the Schloss Leopoldskron, and the interior scenes were set in Hollywood.
Sound of Music Tree scene:
Do you remember the scene when the kids play in the trees as their dad drives by? Elsa Schroeder says: “Good Heavens, what’s this?” The trees (black poplars, English oaks, and copper beeches) are on the road outside the Schloss Frohnburg Palace.
Hellbrunn Palace:
Address: Fuerstenweg 37, Salzburg 5020 Austria
Visit the gazebo where Liesl and Rolf sang "Sixteen Going on Seventeen." This is where Liesl got her first kiss and the Captain and Maria sang “Something Good”. Charmian Carr slipped and fell through a window in the gazebo while filming “Sixteen Going on Seventeen”. Her bandaged ankle had to be airbrushed out in later versions of the film.
At the end of filming, the gazebo was presented to the city of Salzburg. The gazebo is locked due to tourists getting hurt trying to reenact the dance scene. It’s free to visit, and we were happy to have it all to ourselves.
While you’re at Hellbrunn take a tour of the Trick Fountains at Hellbrunn Palace. The hour-long tour takes you through ponds, grottoes, and walkways filled with trick fountains. Your ticket also lets you explore the inside of the palace. If you have children, they will enjoy the Trick Fountains.
Villa Trapp:
Address: Traunstraße 34, 5026 Salzburg, Austria
This was not a filming location, but this is where the real Von Trapp family lived for 15 years. You can stay at the Von Trapp Family’s home… Villa Trapp. It’s a bed-and-breakfast, the villa looks the same today as it did when the Von Traps lived there. This is where the family lived from 1923 to 1938 in the quiet suburb of Salzburg called Aigen. Guided tours of the house take place every day and last 45 minutes.
The Von Trapps managed to get onto a train at the nearby station to escape the Nazis one day before the Austrian borders were closed. After they fled Austria, this home was taken over as an operations office for the Nazis. The right-hand man to Hitler, Heinrich Himmler, spent several months living here. Once the war ended, the mansion was then donated to local nuns. Over time, it was converted to a hotel/museum. There is a Nazi bunker in the backyard that soldiers constructed while stationed there.
Saint (Sankt) Gilgen:
Saint Gilgen is seen in the opening scene with its onion-domed church spire and the blue water of Wolfgangsee in the background. This is near Schafberg Railway, a scene with Maria and the children waving during an outing on a train.
Michael's Cathedral, Mondsee:
Address: Wredepl. 3, 5310 Mondsee, Austria
Mondsee is a beautiful town 15 miles from Salzburg, and worth a trip. The real-life Maria married Captain Georg Von Trapp at the Nonberg Abbey in Salzburg. But the famous wedding scene showing Maria in the long wedding dress was filmed at Saint Michael’s Cathedral.
Mehlweg:
Mehlweg was the location for the opening scene when Maria is singing “The Hills Are Alive with The Sound of Music”, twirling in the meadow on top of the mountain. While filming this opening scene, Andrews kept getting knocked down in the mud by the gusts from the helicopter carrying the camera. Mehlweg is in Marktschellenberg, Germany, south of Salzburg. Unfortunately, the filming location is on private property.
Rossfeld Panorama Street:
Address: Roßfeldstraße, 83471 Eck, Germany
This was the filming location at the end of the movie when the Von Trapp family escaped across the mountains. Maria's (real Maria) biggest beef with the film was geography. Salzburg doesn’t border Switzerland, and taking that route out of Austria would have sent them straight towards Berchtesgaden, Hitler's summer retreat.
It’s a 50-minute drive from Salzburg to Rossfeld Panorama Street (there is an 8 EUR toll per car). The family climbs the Untersberg Mountain which can be seen from the viewpoint. If you want to climb the Mountain like the family did, take the cable car from Valley Station in St. Leonhard to Geiereck Spur.
Picnic Meadow in Werfen:
Address: 5450 Werfen, Austria
Take a day trip from Salzburg to the town of Werfen. Begin your day on the "Sound of Music Trail", which starts in Werfen and leads you to the Gschwandtanger Viewing Point, where Maria and the children enjoy their picnic with the Hohenwerfen Castle in the background. The kids play ball, cards, jump rope and sing “Do-Re-Me”. The hike from Werfen town takes about an hour, just follow “The Sound of Music” signs. Take a picnic if you want to reenact this scene and savor the beautiful views. A small installation honors the 50th anniversary of the movie. While in Werfen, spend the rest of the day visiting the Hohenwerfen Fortress and the largest ice cave in the world, Eisriesenwelt. It’s a 45-minute train ride from Salzburg to the Werfen Bahnhof Station.
I hope you have a spectacular time in Salzburg! “So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye”!
