“Edelweiss, Edelweiss, Every morning you greet me.
Small and white clean and bright, You look happy to meet me”
Plummer made us fall in love with the uncertain enthusiasm with which he sang Edelweiss for the children. We fell in love with his warm and phenomenal role as Captain Von Trapp. And most importantly, he made us fall in love with Salzburg – the Nonnberg Abbey, the Summer Riding School, the Frohnburg Palace, Schloss Leopoldskron, and the Hellbrunn Palace- where the Captain and Maria fell deeply in love while they sang ‘Something Good’.
We have picked 7 places in and around Salzburg, where you can twirl about the hills that are alive with the sound of music and relive your Sound of Music fantasies.
1. Mirabell Gardens: Located right at the heart of the historical district, the Mirabell gardens served as the backdrop for Julie Andrew’s Do-Re-Mi in the film. Sound of Music fans will notice the Mirabell steps where the Von Trapp children were dancing on, as well as the tunnel where all the kids ran through at the beginning of the song. It even happens to be one of the world’s most beautiful wedding venues. The park also harbors Heckentheater, where outdoor concerts take place in summer.
2. Leopoldskron Palace : Portrayed as the Von Trapp residence, where a lot of its outdoor scenes were filmed is a short drive away from Salzburg’s Old Town, the Schloss Leopoldskron – an extraordinary palace hotel.
3. Nonnberg Cloister : This historic Benedictine convent, whose origins date back to the 8th century, became famous as the place real-life Sister Maria spent her years as a postulant. Today you can take a scenic promenade from Kapitelplatz Square and Festungs Alley, where you’ll pass by numerous Romanesque and Gothic gems.
4. Sankt Gilgen : Remember the opening scenes of the Sound of Music with panoramic views of a an onion-domed church spire and the blue water (of Wolfgangsee). Eighteen miles away from Salzburg, is this picture postcard village of St. Gilgen, where these shots were filmed. If you are lucky, you may even pluck some Edelweiss on the hills.
5. St. Michael Church, Mondsee Abbey : The picturesque Lake town of Mondsee is where the St.Michael’s Church is located that provided the setting for Maria and Captain Von Trapp’s wedding scene during the film.
6. The Gazebo at Hellbrunn : Who can forget Liesl and Rolf’s “I am Sixteen going on Seventeen” number set in that unbelievably romantic gazebo at the beginning of the film. The same gazebo was also where Maria and Captain Von Trapp shared their first kiss during the song “Something Good”.
While not its original location during filming, today, this gazebo can be found in the Hellbrunn Palace. Besides the gazebo, this seventeenth century Palace features beautiful Late renaissance architecture, acres of gorgeous gardens, and a series of mischievous trick fountains.
7. Tracht/Dirndl shops : If you wish to dress up like the von Trapp clan, Salzburg has a number of shops selling Tracht, the southern German and Austrian traditional costumes. The most popular with tourists is Moser Bekleidung that has been around since 1928 and has seen its share of Sound of Music fans coming in for fittings.
Travel Update : Please note that there could travel restrictions for international travellers to Austria because of the ongoing pandemic. Before travelling, please always check the latest government advice about COVID-19 travel restrictions in your destination.
Photos: Shutterstock
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