Roaming Numeral

In celebration of heading to Salzburg, we queued up the Sound of Music movie.

The city didn’t seem to be quite as big a fan of the movie as we were- there were very few labels so we had to rely heavily on an online guide to the shooting locations in the area.

Plus, we re-watched the movie a few times ourselves – you know, for research.

The Sound of Music, while a big draw for us, is definitely not all there is to see in the city. We were lucky enough to be visiting during the very first night of the Salzburger Christkindlmarkt (more on that here), and had an excellent time exploring the city with glühwein in hand.

Mirabell Palace and Gardens

One of the most iconic sites in the city, Mirabell Palace is a historic palace and a UNESCO World Heritage location. Classical concerts (usually Mozart inspired) are still performed in the stunning Marble Hall of the palace. It’s definitely worth checking out the schedule!

The gorgeous baroque gardens are the site of the iconic “Do-Re-Mi” song from the Sound of Music- and the stunning landscaping is kept up to snuff even today. I was so certain that those neat garden beds would have been changed over the years!

You may also recognize this Pegasus statue and the vine tunnel from the film.

Salzburger Marionettentheater

The nearby Salzburger Marionettentheater performs a marionette version of the Sound of Music about twice a month. We were lucky enough to be visiting during a performance and, though we didn’t attend, it was a fun surprise to hear the music from the performance wafting through the Mirabell Gardens as we walked around.

Mozart fans will be pleased to learn that there are also performances of The Magic Flute on the schedule!

Mozart’s Birthplace

Just across the river, a bright yellow building on Getreidegasse may catch your eye- this is Mozart’s birthplace! The famous musician and composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is a huge draw for visitors all over the world.

The third floor apartment and surrounding floors have been converted into a museum dedicated to the early life of the composer, displaying some of Mozart’s childhood instruments, letters, and portraits in an environment as closely aligned to the original apartment as possible.

Just a few hundred feet down the street, the open square Mozartplatz is dedicated to the composer, with a large statue of the man erected in the center.

Getreidegasse

The entire street of Getreidegasse is worth a wander- there’s plenty of shops and cafes lining the way. We made a pit stop at Cafe Mozart for some crisp apple strudels. This cafe also serves the iconic Salzburger Nockerl- a soufflé-like dessert that’s definitely worth a try. I’ve never seen them offered outside of Austria!

Residenzplatz

A large town square set in front of the Salzburg Cathedral, Residenzplatz is the main gathering place in Old Town Salzburg. This is where the main Christkindlmarkt in the city is located in the winter months! Maria passes through this square during her song “I Have Confidence” – she splashes her way through the fountain, though it was closed for the winter during our visit.

This square also has a great view of Fortress Hohensalzburg- something that neither myself nor my traveling companion had remembered seeing during our rewatch of the movie. Did they intentionally crop it out, we wondered? Upon our next re-watch, the Fortress was clearly visible several times throughout the movie- and yet neither of us had ever noticed it before!

Salzburg Cathedral

The most important building in Salzburg, the domed roof and double towers make the church a centerpiece of Old Town. There is a €5 charge to enter the church, but the beautiful baroque interiors are well worth the fee.

Petersfriedhof Salzburg

Petersfriedhof- or St. Peter’s Cemetery- is a particularly beautiful cemetery, and the oldest in Salzburg.

The Von Trapps flee through here in the film, though I believe the catacombs were recreated on a soundstage in Hollywood.

Fortress Hohensalzburg

We had the opportunity to take a funicular up to the Fortress, but walking would bring us to an overview that was shown in the movie. Although Julie Andrews walks out of her convent to this view, we had to huff and puff our way up a narrow road to get to the same place- and there was no convent in sight. That’s movie magic for you!

Although Fortress Hohensalzburg is only featured in the background of the movie, it’s definitely worth a visit. I wrote about the fortress turned museum in more detail here, but suffice to say, it’s got the best view in town, plus an interesting perspective on medieval life in Salzburg.

If you’re in town around December, definitely pop up for the Fortress’ tart flambees, if nothing else.

Hellbrunn Palace

Although a visit to Hellbrun Palace requires a bus ride out of the city, it’s a quick ride and well worth the trip.

We were a few days too early to experience the Christmas market here, but it was nice to see the decorations scattered throughout the property.

We spent some time walking around the park and then hiked up a short hill for a truly spectacular view of the surrounding land and the mountain in the distance. I really liked some of the water features built into the manmade pond as well- though some of the fish were alarmingly large.

While the property was gorgeous and the decorations were festive, we were actually here for one reason- to see the pavilion where Sixteen Going On Seventeen was filmed. Apparently it’s a pavilion, not a gazebo!

The glass structure had been restored and moved to the park for visitors to enjoy. Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed to enter the pavilion, so we danced around it a bit and read the nearby informational plaque before heading back to the city.