sound of music bike tour in salzburg

Sound of Salzburg

Have you just arrived? Or are you planning to come to one of the most beautiful cities in the world and want to see as much of it as you can? Did you grow up watching Julie Andrews and the von Trapp Family and are dying to see where those beloved scenes were filmed? Then this tour is for you! We, Salzburg’s only bicycle tour, charge less than the bus tours, but offer you so much more. We take you to places other tours will only show you from the road. We take you to locations buses can’t even reach. You don’t need to be a The Sound of Music fan, or even to have seen the film to love our tour!

TOURS FOR EVERYONE IN ANY WEATHER

Film locations.

Fräulein Maria’s Bicycle Tours starts in April and ends in October.

We highly recommend to book in advance to secure a place on the tour. We can´t guarantee a spot without booking altough we try to keep spots left for show ups.

Through June, July and August we also run late afternoon tours. A reservation is necessary for this tour.

Are our times not good for you, or would you rather be alone with your family? – Private tours can also be arranged for anytime April – October.

If you are unable to make a tour that you have reserved a place on, we would more than appreciate you contacting us to cancel the reservation. A guide may be turning up and waiting just for you.

• from the age of 18 up
• 13-17 years
• under 12 years

Our normal prices are already so crazily low for a tour of Salzburg, but there are still a few discounts available.

• For +10 groups we have special discounts and provide special times.

• Price for private tours depend on participant numbers.

We prefer payment being made in cash on the day to the guide.

Please arrive at least 10 min before departure time.

Note: „Daily“ is every day, including Sunday and Holidays.

Our tours last around 3,5 hours.

Meeting Point

We are easy to find and centrally located. Our meeting point is located at Mirabellplatz 4 – 50m left of the entrance to the Mirabell palace. We are right opposite the big Saint Andrews Church/Andräkirche. Just look out for our famous Fräulein Maria’s Bicycle Sign and a whole lot of bicycles.

How are you getting to us?

By Bus: All lines between the station and the old city center stop at Mirabellplatz (Bus stop Mirabellplatz).

By car: You can park your car in the garage directly under Mirabellplatz.

By foot: An easy distance from the old city or the train station – right next to the entrance to the palace Mirabell, opposite the St. Andrews Church/Andräkirche.

By plane: you can land your aircraft in the Mirabell garden, but watch out for the flowers, the attendants are very protective of them! 😉

We would be happy to put together a suitable offer for you.

My name is Rupert Riedl. I was born and grew up in Salzburg. As is true of most of my fellow Austrians I had never heard about the Trapp Family, until I was lucky enough to work in a youth hostel where I caught the spirit from Fräulein Maria.

While working at the hostel I booked and recommended a lot of bus tours for people with the tour companies in Salzburg, but I saw that some people weren’t totally satisfied with this impersonal and commercial way of seeing the city. In time for the next summer, full of ideas and ambition and after cycling every single road and bike path to find the best route for you, I left my job at the Youth Hostel and my Scottish wife and I started Fräulein Maria’s Bicycle Tours. We had found a way to bring our guests close enough to touch all the sights… even in Salzburg´s old town where cars, let alone buses aren’t allowed. We started with just ten bikes, but we soon had to buy more!

Since starting in 1999 we have had the chance to show thousands of tourists our beautiful city and sing along with them in the footsteps of Fräulein Maria.

Our guides aren’t bike racers or stubborn history freaks, but they love the movie and being outdoors, they know the city and most importantly they love sharing their passion with you. We have a mix of native English speakers and original Salzburgers in our team, and this combination might be one part of our success.

We use Cruiser bikes with 7 gears and very comfortable seats. Your arms will be well stretched out and your back upright! The most difficult thing about the tour is forcing yourself to get off the bike at the end of the day and back on your feet =)

We know how boring long bus drives are for kids so we love having families come along! We have a wide range of different sizes of children’s bikes. For boys and girls who can’t yet ride on their own or don’t feel confident we have child seats, trailers, tag along trailers and a tandem. We have helmets for the kids, and for adults on request. So bring your kids… and drag your husbands… we love them all. We have even had some dogs coming along with us too! If you don’t feel confident riding alone we also have an adult tandem bike available to double the fun!

We have them in ladies and men’s styles. Each bike is kitted out with the name of one of the characters from the film, a basket that can carry up to 5 kilos (11 pounds) and the best feature of all – a huge Fräulein Maria Ding Dong Bell making you unstoppable…

Dipl. Sptl. Rupert Riedl

• Siezenheimerstraße 157 5020 Salzburg Austria
• [email protected]
• +43 650 3426297

The wheels are alive with the sound of music

All through Salzburg and the surrounding areas you’ll find sites from the Sound of Music. Don’t see them on a bus – do it from the back of a bike!

Written by Michael Turtle

Michael Turtle is the founder of Time Travel Turtle. A journalist for more than 20 years, he's been travelling the world since 2011.

Michael Turtle is the founder of Time Travel Turtle and has been travelling full time for a decade.

Updated: July 11, 2023

Sound of Music cycling tour, Salzburg, Austria

Where to start? Well, let’s start at the beginning. It’s a very good place to start.

Sitting alone at an outside table in one the Salzburg’s largest beer gardens, a group of local drinkers come up and ask if they can join me. Of course.

As we chat, I mention that I’m doing a Sound of Music tour the following morning.

Oh, one of them says, rolling his eyes ever so slightly, “nobody in Austria has seen that movie. Well, maybe about half the people. But it’s not very popular here.”

He tells me a story – probably apocryphal – that during the Reagan Administration, the Austrian President was visiting the US and they played ‘Edelweiss’ for him, assuming it was an important national song.

Of course, as we know, it was written purely for the musical and has no historical link to Austria.

For Salzburg, The Sound of Music has two strong links – even if many of the residents don’t know much about it. Firstly, it was here that Maria and the Von Trapps actually lived and went through many of the events told in the movie. And, secondly, much of the movie was filmed in and around the city.

I suppose a should add a third link between the movie and Salzburg. It’s what inspires hordes of tourists to visit the city every year.

Sure, there is plenty here to entice and entertain without needing a movie to promote it. But let’s be realistic – it is a deciding factor for a lot of foreigners.

For this reason, there are plenty of offerings for tours in Salzburg based on The Sound of Music. The most common one is a bus tour, which drives around, spotting the sites out the window, and stopping at a couple for some fresh air. But children are meant to play, not march, right?

The bus tour does gets good reviews ( and you can see more about it here ) but that’s not really my style. So I decide to try a tour by bicycle.

We gather together in the morning. There are about 16, going on 17, of us. All, expect for me, are from the USA.

I’ve always found (on the rare occasions when I have put my mind to this question) that Australians and British have the same passion for The Sound of Music as Americans. Yet my friends from the US do see it slightly differently.

It’s a little magical, a little exotic, a slice of the stereotypical European charm they imagine exists far away in space but not time. For the rest of us, it’s simply a bit of camp good fun.

But a bicycle tour through the sites of Salzburg gives all of us a chance to release some camp good fun.

At the fountain in the square in front of the Salzburg Cathedral, people take turns splashing the water out, like Maria does as she proclaims that she has confidence. It’s so exciting to be out in the world, to be free.

At the Horse’s Bath, where Maria and the children sing some of ‘My Favourite Things’, some people do a little song and dance.

Locals walking past seem amused – perhaps by the idea of schnitzel with noodles, which seems to only exist as a rhyme for crisp apple strudels, which is actually common here.

We go through various spot in the city used for the movie – doorways, arches, squares, a graveyard. I must admit, though, these are not necessarily my favourite things.

I have seen them all already on a brief stroll through the historic part of Salzburg and there are crowds of tourists everywhere. Where this tour really helps us find our dream, is when we start to climb every mountain (actually, just one, thank goodness).

It’s up on this hill above the city that we reach Nonnberg Abbey.

In its own right, it’s a beautiful abbey. Away from the traffic, it’s quiet and peaceful.

I go inside and there’s a choir singing (but nothing from the movie, before you ask). Before I walk through the door, I whisper my favourite line under my breath, “What is it you can’t face, Maria?”

The line was probably done in a studio. But this abbey was used for the external scenes of Maria’s abbey.

There are no rolling green hills anywhere nearby for Maria to be beckoned from – a bit of Hollywood magic, that is – but I can imagine her coming through these gates. The best thing is that not all of the Sound of Music bus tours come here because there’s no accessible road.

In fact, as we go downhill from the abbey, it’s all uphill for the tour. Because now we enter the countryside around Salzburg.

The guide turns on the speakers and songs from the movie play around us as we cycle through fields with the wind in our hair. My heart wants to sing every song it hears and my heart wants to beat like the wings of the birds that rise from the lake to the trees!

Speaking of lakes, that’s our next stop. We gaze over a lake to Leopold Palace, which reflects in the smooth water.

This was used for the filming of the exterior of the Von Trapp house when the lake was in shot. The tour group sings a little bit more here, naturally. I, however, don’t. I can’t. I’ve got a sore finger.

And then there’s a lovely ride on a track, to the Frohnburg Palace, used for other exterior shots of the Von Trapp house. I look up at the trees as we cycle past – I’m sure I could imagine children playing in curtains in the branches.

At the end of the path we find the famous gazebo, also known as the Sound of Music Pavillion.

These days it’s all locked up – no way to dance and sing inside, singing along to ‘Sixteen Going on Seventeen’ as Rolf and Leisl did. In fact, that’s why it’s locked up because a few too many people had accidents while reenacting the scene.

Sad. It looks like an empty stage waiting for fate to turn the light on.

Perhaps it’s a good symbol for the day. I have a lot of fun and the weather has been kind.

It’s nice to see a bit of Salzburg and particularly pleasant to have a ride around away from the traffic. But nothing can quite capture the joy of The Sound of Music, even a tour like this.

Each of these sites seem a little sad without the characters in them and the music filling the space around them. But, then again, that’s what our imagination is for.

And, with that, I hate to leave this pretty sight. I flit, I float, I fleetly flee, I fly. So long, farewell.

THE BEST ACCOMMODATION IN SALZBURG

I would recommend staying in the historic centre – and there are wonderful options on either side of the river.

You’ll find very comfortable and modern dorm rooms at the cool Wolfgang’s managed by a&o .

For great value right in the Old Town, check out Institut St Sebastian , which is in a historic building.

With an interesting design and very comfortable rooms, I would recommend Small Luxury Hotel Goldgasse .

And if you’re looking for something special, Hotel Schloss Mönchstein is pure luxury with a stunning mountain location.

Time Travel Turtle was supported by the Austrian National Tourist Office  in partnership with Captivate but the opinions, over-written descriptions and bad jokes are his own.

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• Why is Vienna's World Heritage status at risk?
• The best things to do in Salzburg
• A Sound of Music tour in Salzburg
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• Exploring the beautiful Wachau Valley
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5 thoughts on “The wheels are alive with the sound of music”

I am going to learn to ride a bike just to do this tour!

Ha ha – it seems like a good enough reason to learn! Although it’s actually quite easy, so don’t worry too much if you’re still learning by the time you get to Salzburg! 🙂

I have always loved the Sound of Music.. In fact I grew up with Julie Andrews. 🙂 I think that it was an awesome idea to bring it all back again.. The memories sure are wonderful.. Thanks for sharing your memories in the making and thanks for bringing back mine as well.. You are truley a work of art and your words are very inspiring.. Peace to you friend.. 🙂

I didn’t know that The Sound of Music had bus tours. It sounds like it would be a lot of fun to have a music based tour. Is this something that is offered everywhere they do The Sound of Music stuff?

It is a great idea to do this tour by bike 🙂 I also wrote a post about Sound of Music tours in Salzburg!

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Fotogalerie

John Munson (originally from Lake Forest, Illinois, USA) welcomes you to an all-season interesting, lovely, relaxing, and comprehensive 6-to-7-hour Sound of Music film site E-bike tour for small groups (up to 7 people) of the old city of Salzburg and the surrounding green area within the city limits. See all the breathtaking film sites from the Sound of Music and the most beautiful 400-year-old palaces and green areas in Salzburg, Austria while riding at an easy-going, leisurely pace along the Salzburg valley floor on mostly bike paths which are on flat terrain! We make many stops to take photos and to discuss the filming trivia of those sites, as well as visiting the original Trapp Family home and talking about how their real story compares with the film narrative! 

Bicycle riders of all levels of ability are welcome, provided you have confident and competent biking skills and have ridden a bike in the recent past. We cover about 31 km/19 miles over the course of the day adventure. My tour offers you a much more private and personalized tour than any other Sound of Music bike or bus tour offered in Salzburg (which usually have between 15 to 80 guests, respectively). We will take a relaxing 30-minute late lunch break to sit and eat in a lovely Baroque Garden next to several ponds at the charming Hellbrunn Palace or at other picturesque nature locations en route. You can bring your own food to eat, or purchase food "To Go" from one of the many cafes/restaurants that we will pass along the way in Salzburg.   Riding E-bikes is a great way to see Salzburg while getting exercise at the same time in the open fresh air, instead of being confined in a bus or van with a lot of people. The great thing is that you can exert whatever amount of effort you wish to because of the various assist levels on the electric bike, as long as you are pedaling (these are not self-propelled E-bikes). The E-bikes provide a very smooth ride with very easy control. In case of inclement weather when it is either too cold (below 45 degrees F.) or rainy (raining hard for much of the day) to ride, I offer the option to shift over to a combined city bus or van & walking version of my tour, using umbrellas and rain gear. 

My Sound of Music E-bike tour costs 135 euro/person, with bikes which have baskets for your things, and helmets included. Ages 11 and up are welcome.  

 I also offer an all-season/all-day separate private van tour for up to 4 guests to the Sound of Music film sites in the mountains (including the opening, closing and picnic scene meadow hilltops) just within a 25-40 minutes' drive from Salzburg, customized to your wishes. This can also include the Eagle's Nest and other WW2 noteworthy areas around Obersalzberg, where Hitler's Berghof mountain retreat house site was located (where he spent a third of the war up until it was destroyed at the end of the war). This private tour is reasonably priced at 500 euro. This price does not include the fee for the mandatory Eagle's Nest shuttle bus (28 euro each round trip) from the Eagle's Nest parking lot, Eagle's Nest museum/documentation center fee (3 euro each), or any other incidental fees  such as for the state park entry (8 euro for the group) to drive up to the final meadow scene where the Von Trapp's climb over the mountains to escape Austria in the film Sound of Music. Write me below for more details. It is a historically fascinating area to see!  

Additionally, I further offer a second all-season/all-day private van tour for up to 4 guests to the gorgeous village of Hallstatt on Lake Hallstatt, as well as to the surrounding lakes and mountain region, including seeing the inside of the St. Michael's Basilica in Mondsee (built in the 1400's), where the wedding scene was filmed in the Sound of Music. We will also visit the lovely villages of St. Gilgen or St. Wolfgang on the magnificent Lake Wolfgang. We also will go to the spectacular Lake Gosau, nestled in the high mountain peak region. This private tour also costs 500 euro (not including any parking or gondola fees up the mountains to spectacular lookouts).

 I am also an authorized ticket seller for 2 different nightly Best of Mozart/Strauss/Vivaldi concerts (one of which includes dinner) in Salzburg, performed by ensembles of around 6 string musicians. In one concert, there is a man and woman opera singer (baritone and soprano) who wander around the guest dinner tables singing up close and personal to the guests! Both concerts take place in stunning palaces in magnificent grandiose concert rooms in Salzburg, one in which Mozart himself often performed in the Marble Room in the Mirabell Palace and the other is in the ballroom in St. Peter's Monastery, the oldest active monastery north of the Alps, founded in the year 696. Write me below for prices and details.  

When you write me a message below in the contact area or on What's App to book my tours or for more info, I always reply by the end of the Austrian day, if not within the hour.  If you like, we can also do a Skype or What's App video call to discuss everything you wish to know, face to face. 

Payment for my tours can be made below by credit card, or by Venmo, Zelle, PayPal, Wise or normal inter-bank wire transfer.  Full payment is requested at the time of booking your tour. One-third of the total tour cost is non-refundable. The remaining 2/3rds is fully refundable until 7 days before your tour date. I still give my tours in the rain, but in case the weather is really terrible on the day of the tour or you prefer to switch the dates at any time, I am happy to change your tour to any other date, assuming I have availability.

Reviews, blogs, photos and videos of my tours

City e-bike tour, private van tour to hallstatt & lakes & mountains area, private van tour to eagle's nest & sound of music meadows, do re mi - trapp family bike and private van tours.

Ignaz-Rieder-Kai 33, Salzburg, Austria, 5026

Contact me at [email protected] or just click on the button below: or call me at +436603802100

Come join me on the most personal, comprehensive and beautiful E-bike or van & walking tour of the Sound of Music film sites in and around the Salzburg area, plus seeing spectacular views of the high mountains, lakes and lovely natural and historic scenery in the green areas en route!

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Sound of Music bike tour - Fraulein Maria's Bicycle Tours

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Absolutely loved this. Discovered so many little insights to the film that we never knew. Kids... read more

One of the best tours I have ever done. This was so fun and our guide, Mirella, was fab! The route... read more

Sound of Music bike tour

Best time ever! We sang our way around Salzburg. Marnie our guide was informative and new her SOM trivia! We were enveloped in everything from the movie including behind the scenes gossip ins stories. So much fun. I can highly recommend this tour.

I wanted to be a Von Trapp child the first time I saw the movie when I was little. It's taken a few years but I finally made it to Salzburg and the wonderful 'Fraulein Marie Bike Tour'. The tour is about 16km on a very comfortable bike complete with basket for your belongings. Comfortable bike seat (not a skinny touring bike seat) and the bike is adjusted to your height. They have an assortment of bikes depending on the make up of your family. Helmets are available to all, but are mandatory for 12 years and younger. Wear comfortable clothes, sunblock if it's hot and bring a water bottle, and of course your singing voice if you wish to get the full experience. The guide will have a boom box with great sound that plays the sound track once you have left the city centre. Our group was a family of 5 from New Jersey with 3 children ages 15, 17 and 20, a mum and a 56 year old dad who had only watched the movie for the first time a day or two before; there was a couple from Scotland (who have done this tour befor and enjoyed it so much that they did it again), and myself. We all managed the route and enjoyed seeing all of the movie sights that were shot in and around Salzburg. In case you are not a fan or have no knowledge of the movie, or maybe you are the 'long suffering' spouse (lol) you will enjoy your tour. It combines the city with a pleasant bike ride just outside of the centre where you will see lovely mountain views. Guides can make or break tours. Our guide for today was Leo (Von Trapp.. Lol). He did a great job, did some acting of certain scenes to jolt our memories, encouraged the singing and told us lots of facts about the movie and Salzburg itself. He loves his job and is very enthusiastic. When I see the movie again, I will be brought back (in my mind) to this lovely tour and the beautiful city of Salzburg. Take the tour, you won't be disappointed.

A lovely day in Salzburg, a fun bike ride, and our fabulous guide STEPHEN made Maria's Bicycle Tours a wonderful part of our month-long European vacation! This experience brings The Sound of Music to life!

What a fun way to see Salzburg ! I had seen the movie as a child and it was just amazing to see all the places in real life. Our guide "Chilli" was entertaining, the 3.5 hours of cycling was not a problem at all and Chilli gave us a good mix of Salzburg city info plus Sound of Music all rolled into one neat package. The weather was great for cycling. We were playing the music from the movie from a bluetooth speaker in the cycle basket. Lot of fun ! I definitely recommend this tour !

Loved the tour and our guide Annabel! Her enthusiasm and joy made a fantastic tour even better! Lots of interaction and we even got to hear the tunes while riding through the beautiful outskirts near the von trapp home!

Definitely one of the highlights and most memorable moments of our trip! Great way to see beautiful Salzburg and enjoy sights of Sound of Music. A nice treat to do with the family!

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The Sound of Music Tour

Explore original shooting locations on the Sound of Music Tour in all kinds of different ways: by bus, on foot or by bicycle. Whatever you choose, it’s bound to be a one-of-a-kind experience.

The life of the von Trapp family is intertwined with that of Salzburg itself. Every year, some 300,000 people visit important landmarks in the life of the von Trapp family and the story told by the movie. The fascinating life of former novice Maria von Trapp and her singing family became a world-wide success when the film was released in 1965, with Julie Andrews starring as Maria. The songs from " The Sound of Music " are famous around the globe.

Original shooting locations from the Sound of Music movie include:

Mirabell Gardens and the Pegasus Fountain (the dance scene with Maria and the children)

Schloss Leopoldskron (in the film, the house where the family lived)

Hellbrunn palace (singing scenes)

Nonnberg Convent (where the young Maria was a novice)

St. Gilgen / Wolfgangsee (opening scene of the movie)

Mondsee Basilica (wedding scene)

"The Sound of Music" tour can be booked online through...

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13 Must-See Sound of Music Tour Salzburg

By Raphael last updated 7 months ago

Salzburg, Austria, holds a special place in the hearts of fans of The Sound of...

Salzburg, Austria, holds a special place in the hearts of fans of The Sound of Music. This picturesque city is where the iconic movie was filmed, and it attracts thousands of tourists each year who want to experience the magic firsthand. While most Austrians may not be familiar with the film, visitors can’t help but hum along to the beloved songs and explore the enchanting locations featured in the movie. 

“The hills are alive with the sound of music!” – Maria

From the grand Mirabell Gardens to the charming Nonnberg Abbey, 13 must-see Sound of Music tour locations in Salzburg transports you into the world of Maria and the von Trapp family. Let’s embark on a delightful journey through these iconic spots and relive the joy of this timeless classic.

Here are 13 must-see tour locations that will transport you into the world of Maria and the von Trapp family.

1. Leopoldskron Castle

Visit the majestic Leopoldskron Castle, which served as the von Trapp family home in the movie. Stroll along the shores of Leopoldskron Lake, where the children had a mischievous boating adventure. 

Take in the serene beauty of the surroundings and imagine the von Trapp family’s life within the walls of this historic castle. With its stunning architecture and picturesque lake, Leopoldskron Castle offers a glimpse into the captivating world of The Sound of Music.

2. Mirabell Palace & Gardens

Step into the enchanting world of The Sound of Music at Mirabell Palace & Gardens. This picturesque location is where Maria and the children joyfully danced around the statue of Pegasus, singing their famous “Do-Re-Mi” song. 

“Do-Re-Mi, a female deer. Ray, a drop of golden sun.” – Maria

Explore the beautifully manicured gardens, stroll along the pathways, and relive the iconic scenes that captured the hearts of millions. With its vibrant atmosphere and musical history, Mirabell Palace & Gardens is a must-visit destination for any Sound of Music fan.

3. Horse Bath

Transport yourself to the scene where Maria and the children dance past the Horse Bath while singing “My Favorite Things.” This picturesque location adds a touch of charm to the movie and offers a delightful backdrop for capturing memorable photos. 

Experience the magic of the movie firsthand as you immerse yourself in the surroundings and create your special moments.

4. Winkler Terrace

 Ascend Monk’s Hill and discover the breathtaking Winkler Terrace overlooking the Old Town of Salzburg. This is where Maria and the children brought their infectious energy, mixing up the musical notes of “Do Re Mi” as they introduced the song to Salzburg. 

Stand in awe of the panoramic view, feel the gentle breeze, and let the melodies of the movie resonate in your heart. Winkler Terrace is a serene spot that encapsulates the joy and harmony that The Sound of Music evokes.

5. Hedge Maze & Gnome Park

Enter the whimsical world of the “Do-Re-Mi” song at the Hedge Maze & Gnome Park. Follow in the footsteps of Maria and the children as they skip through the vine tunnel and playfully interact with the charming gnome with glasses. 

This delightful location is perfect for families, allowing children to unleash their imaginations and immerse themselves in the magic of The Sound of Music.

6. Rock Riding School

Step inside the historic Rock Riding School, which played a pivotal role in some of the most memorable scenes from The Sound of Music. Let your imagination run wild as you envision these walls’ lively performances and heartwarming moments. 

The Rock Riding School is where history and film intertwine, creating an atmosphere that will transport you back in time.

7. Hellbrunn Castle and the Glass Pavilion

“I have confidence in sunshine. I have confidence in rain. I have confidence that spring will come again!” – Maria

Embark on a journey to Hellbrunn Castle, an architectural gem from the 17th century. Explore its captivating gardens and discover the mesmerizing glass pavilion that has fascinated visitors for over 30 years. 

Marvel at the beauty of the surroundings and imagine the von Trapp family roaming these grounds as you walk in their footsteps. Hellbrunn Castle and the Glass Pavilion are a testament to the timeless allure of The Sound of Music.

8. Mondsee Wedding Church

Experience the magic of Maria and the Baron’s wedding by visiting the picturesque Mondsee Wedding Church. Step into the same church where their fictional union took place and feel the romance and joy that filled the air. 

Admire exquisite architecture, explore the charming town of Mondsee, and let the spirit of love and celebration resonate within you.

9. Nonnberg Abbey

Delve into the rich history of Nonnberg Abbey, one of Europe’s oldest convents. This sacred place served as Maria’s home as a novice and was the backdrop for the enchanting wedding scene in the film. 

Explore the abbey’s tranquil surroundings, admire its architectural beauty, and feel a sense of serenity as you discover the connection between The Sound of Music and this sacred location.

10. St Gilgen and Lake Wolfgang

Embark on a scenic journey to St Gilgen and Lake Wolfgang, featured at the beginning of The Sound of Music. Bask in the landscape’s natural beauty as you gaze upon the stunning lake and surrounding mountains.

Take a moment to soak in the tranquility and reflect on the movie’s opening scenes that captured this beautiful region’s essence.

11. Werfen Picnic Meadow

Venture to the idyllic Werfen Picnic Meadow, perched above the village of Werfen. This picturesque location is where Maria and the children shared a delightful picnic and began singing the iconic “Do Re, Mi” song. 

Take in the breathtaking views, feel the fresh air on your skin, and let the melodies of the movie fill the atmosphere. The Werfen Picnic Meadow offers a serene and memorable experience for The Sound of Music fans.

12. Frohnburg Palace

Journey to Frohnburg Palace, the magnificent backdrop for the von Trapp family home. Marvel at the elegance and grandeur of this palace, which was featured in five pivotal scenes of the film. 

Let your imagination transport you to the world of the von Trapps as you walk through the halls and gardens, reliving the special moments that have captured the hearts of generations.

13. Peter’s Cemetery and Catacombs

Discover the tranquil beauty of St. Peter’s Cemetery and Catacombs, a historic site featured in The Sound of Music. This serene cemetery, with its rows of picturesque tombstones and peaceful atmosphere, is where Maria and the children hid from the Nazis in the film. 

Wander through the winding pathways, surrounded by lush greenery and ancient tombstones, and feel a sense of tranquility as you connect with the scenes from the movie. 

Explore the catacombs beneath the cemetery, where you can delve into Salzburg’s intriguing history. St. Peter’s Cemetery and Catacombs offer a unique and contemplative experience for The Sound of Music fans and history enthusiasts.

Exploring the Locations of The Sound of Music

Transportation options.

• Bus Tours: Convenient transportation to all filming locations.
• Walking Tours: Explore on foot and enjoy the surrounding areas.
• Bicycle Tours: Fun and affordable way to visit the sites.

Cost and Booking Information

• Tour Prices: Starting at around 45€ for Sound of Music tours.
• Tour Providers: Viator, GetYourGuide, Musement, and more.
• Package Inclusions: Transportation, tour guide, combined tickets, lunch, museum visits, and other attractions.
• Discounts and Seasonal Offers: Check for special deals and reduced prices.

When planning your Sound of Music tour, you can choose between different modes of transportation. Bus tours provide a hassle-free experience while walking tours allow for more flexibility and exploration. Alternatively, bicycle tours offer a unique and enjoyable way to discover the sites.

Tour prices typically start around 45€ and vary depending on the provider and package inclusions. Popular tour companies like Viator, GetYourGuide, and Musement offer similar experiences, including transportation, knowledgeable guides, and various add-ons such as combined tickets, lunch, and museum visits. 

Keep an eye out for discounts and seasonal offers that may be available at certain times of the year.

To book your tour, you can use TourScanner’s search feature to compare prices and options from different providers, ensuring you find the best tour that suits your preferences and budget.

“Climb every mountain, ford every stream, follow every rainbow, ’til you find your dream.” – Mother Abbess

In conclusion, exploring the locations of The Sound of Music in Salzburg offers a delightful journey into the world of Maria and the von Trapp family. With 13 must-see tour locations, ranging from majestic castles and picturesque gardens to charming churches and historical sites, visitors can relive the magic of this timeless classic. 

Whether you embark on a bus tour for convenience, take a walking tour to immerse yourself in the surroundings, or enjoy a bicycle tour for a fun and affordable experience, there are transportation options to suit every preference. 

With tour prices starting at around 45€ and various providers offering inclusive packages and special offers, booking your Sound of Music tour has never been easier. So, get ready to sing along and create unforgettable memories as you explore the enchanting locations that captured the hearts of millions.

The Sound of Music tour in Salzburg typically lasts around 4 hours. It is available daily at 9:15 AM and 2:00 PM, but pre-booking is recommended, especially during Christmas and New Year, to ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience without any delays.

Yes, you can do a self-guided Sound of Music tour in Salzburg. This walking tour is approximately 4 kilometers long and can be completed in 2-3 hours. Feel free to take your time, enjoy the journey, and make pit stops at charming cafes.

Yes, it’s worth doing the Sound of Music tour in Salzburg. It offers a breathtaking experience, even if you need to become more familiar with the movie. The Original Sound of Music Tour is a fantastic way to explore Austria’s beautiful region and appreciate the film’s charm.

You can stay inside The Sound of Music House, known as Meierhof. Experience a comfortable overnight stay in its rooms and enjoy a delicious breakfast buffet in either the Marble Hall or the palace’s ballroom. Additionally, you can visit various filming locations during the 4-hour Original Sound of Music Tour.

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By Raphael - Updated 7 months ago

• Private Tours

Original Sound of Music Tour® - Tour 1A

• Also available as Private tour
• Also included in Other products

Do you have special requirements? Make a request

daily at 9.15 am and 2.00 pm

Panorama Tours Bus Terminal , Mirabellplatz / Hubert-Sattler-Gasse 1, 5020 Salzburg Arrival information

Join us on a wonderful ride through Salzburg on the Original Sound of Music Tour®

Tour the picturesque World Heritage City of  Salzburg  as well as the beautiful  landscapes where the opening scenes of the movie   The Sound of Music  were filmed with our live guide!

The Sound of Music Tour Salzburg includes original shooting locations from "The Sound of Music" movie:

• Mirabell Garden and Pegasus Fountain , where Maria and the children danced in the movie
• Nonnberg Convent , where Maria was a novice
• Schloss Leopoldskron ,  the house, where the Trapp Family lived in the movie which is now a luxury hotel
• Hellbrunn Palace (singing scenes in the movie)
• Gazebo (now placed in Hellbrunn), where the Baron von Trapp kissed Maria for the first time
• Church Mondsee , where Maria and the Baron get married

The Sound of Music in Salzburg

The enormous success of  The Sound of Music  Broadway Musical by  Rodgers & Hammerstein  premiering in 1959 made film director Robert Wise and 250 crew members turn  Salzburg  and its surroundings into the  Sound of Music filming location  in 1964. And it was  Salzburg Panorama Tours  who took the  Sound of Music  film crew to the  various locations  where the  famous movie  was filmed.

Shortly after its release, the film became a tremendous success, receiving five Academy Awards, becoming the highest grossing movie ever and reaching cult status over the years. Both musical and film are based on the "The Story of the Trapp Family Singers" written by  Maria von Trapp  in 1949.

Get to know Salzburg

Follow the traces of the  Trapp family  and take a tour through Salzburg and its surroundings. See the  original film settings  and just imagine being  Julie Andrews , the main character in the film, playing  Maria von Trapp . Learn about the historical and architectural landmarks of Salzburg as well as the Lake District while enjoying the highlights of the movie. Relax and listen to the  Original Sound of Music  soundtrack and of course feel free to sing-along  Edelweiss  and many more... Our live guide will tell you everything you need to know about The Sound of Music, the Trapp Familiy, the film locations and about the shooting.

• Please make your own way to meeting point, 15 min. prior departure
• free cancellation up to 24 hours prior to tour departure
• We are not able to offer a pick-up service from the hotel
• Infants up to 4 years are not entitled to their own seat
• Pets are not allowed in the tour

FAQs Original Sound of Music Tour®

Where does sound of music take place.

The true story, that The Sound of Music is based, on took place in the Austrian city of Salzburg. Large parts of the movie were filmed in and around Salzburg, some scenes even in the original locations. Featured in the  Original Sound of Music Tour® are among many others Leopoldskron Palace and the gazebo at Hellbrunn Palace . 

When did the true story of Sound of Music take place?

Maria was asked to teach Georg von Trapp's children in 1926 and their wedding took place in 1927. In 1938, the Trapp family moved to the US to escape the Nazi regime in Germany and Austria. Their move was however far less dramatic than it is portrayed in the film. The 1965 film is an adaptation of the 1959 stage musical and based on Maria von Trapps 1949 memoir "The Story of the Trapp Family Singers".

Where is the Sound of Music house?

There are three locations associated closely with the Trapp family in Salzburg. The original Trapp family home Villa Trapp is located in Aigen to the southeast of Salzburg and not seen in the movie. Two other estates were used to portray the Trapps' home in the movie: Leopoldskron Palace and Frohnburg Palace .

Where is the Sound of Music gazebo?

The gazebo featured in the "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" scene was located in the gardens of Leopoldskron Palace during filming. It was later moved to the gardens at Hellbrunn Palace to make it accessible to interested visitor. The Original Sound of Music Tour® stops at the gazebo to give you the opportunity for unforgettable moments and souvenir photos.

Which church was used in Sound of Music?

While many other scenes were filmed in the city of Salzburg, the romantic wedding scene in the movie The Sound of Music was shot at the church in Mondsee. A stop at this church is part of the Original Sound of Music Tour® by Salzburg Panorama Tours  and gives you the opportunity to explore this beautiful filming location.

When is the Original Sound of Music Tour® operated?

This tour is operated daily with two start times at 9.15 am and 2.00 pm.

Please notice:

We are not able to offer a pick-up service from the hotel. Please make your own way to meeting point, 15 min. prior departure.

Only Salzburg Panorama Tours is responsible to schedule the tour vehicles.

Infants up to 4 years are not entitled to their own seat.

Pets are not allowed in the tour.

Stefan Herzl

Hello, my name is Stefan Herzl and I’m really looking forward to show you my beautiful hometown Salzburg. I am a native Salzburg offering since 1976 various sightseeing tours in Salzburg & surroundings.

This tour is included in other products - get more for your money!

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Mozart Dinner Concert

Attend this performens and be taken back to Mozart’s time! Enjoy an evening likely to have taken place in 1790 - in the baroquehall - lit by candles, having a dinner based on historical recipes, listening to a concert with musicians in authentic costumes and the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. 

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Enjoy a perfect full-day Sound of Music experience including Leopoldskron Palace & Hiking Trail

Come with me on my travels, as you plan yours

Salzburg Sound of Music Bicycle Tour

Updated June 12th, 2019

This post contains affiliate links including Amazon affiliate links. That means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, if you buy through my site. I appreciate your support of my site.

“How do you feel about biking?”, I asked my mom before our Austrian trip. Other than knowing that we were going to Austria, the whole trip was going to be a surprise. I was feeling her out on a couple of ideas I had. Her apprehensive response about biking wasn’t very reassuring to my idea of doing a Salzburg Sound of Music Bicycle Tour.

Years ago I remember someone talking about how much fun they had on a Sound of Music tour. I hate to admit it but prior to planning this trip if someone would have asked me where the movie took place I don’t think I would have been able to say Salzburg. Regardless I knew we had to do some sort of tour and I really wanted to avoid the big bus tours so I signed us up for Fräulein Maria’s Bicycle Tours despite my mom’s apprehension.

We had a little time to practice our skills before the tour and immediately after getting on my bicycle, named Gretel, I thought, “What have I gotten us into? I don’t know how to ride a bike!”. The handlebars seemed so wide apart and I was terrified to attempt turning while riding on the bicycle so I kept getting off to walk my bike around corners. That would not be a sustainable solution for long! Soon we unsteadily set off to test our fates as bicyclists and to see the sights of the city related to the film.

Horse Pond – Pferdeschwemme

Maria and the children happily sing through this area in the film.

Residence Square – Residenz Platz and Residence Fountain

I loved how our guide referred to this square as the place where Maria did “splashy splashy” in the fountain as she sang “I have Confidence.” During the film a Nazi flag was hung from Residence palace in the square. Austrians woke up terrified that the Nazis’ were back again. Fortunately it was just for filming, but they still were not too pleased about the whole ordeal. 

St. Peter’s Cemetery

Used as inspiration for the cemetery in the film.

The Nonnberg Abbey

The real Abbey used in the movie. Beautiful lookout point to the rest of the city and the alps in the distance.

Lost in the Beautiful Fields of Austria

No, this isn’t the name of another film location. When leaving the abbey there was a very steep hill that we had to go down. Hills and especially turning corners when going down hill still seemed terrifying to me at this point. My mom and I were the last ones in our group to head out and we took it much slower so we got a bit behind the group.

Even though I couldn’t see anyone I automatically turned left at the first intersection because it continued down the hill. At the next intersection I made a guess and turned right. At this point I had not only lost the group, but also my mom behind me. I asked a passerby if he saw bicycles in the direction I was heading, he did so I continued my journey. Later on I realized the guy probably thought I was asking if a bike could go on the path. The next intersection I came to had even more options so I sat a bit to think what to do. Meanwhile my mother actually made all the exact same wrong turns as I did so she caught up with me! As we were pondering our predicament, guess who came up next!? Our faithful tour guide! She had come to find us and bring us back to the group.

Schloss Leopoldskron – Leopoldskron Palace & Lake

Many scenes were shot here, including when Maria and the children went out on the lake. We learned that the actress that played Gretel didn’t actually know how to swim so when she fell into the lake she genuinely needed to be rescued. During the 2nd take Maria fell off the boat the wrong way and wasn’t able to save her as planned and a cameraman had to jump in to save the day. Ironically I was riding the Gretel bicycle and also needed to be ‘saved’. 

Frohnburg Palace

Several scenes were filmed here as well. As Maria sings “I have Confidence” she does her little heel clicks here.

Our guide brought a speaker and gave different people turns to blast the music from their bicycles as we were riding, so the hills were indeed alive with the Sound of Music!

The gazebo isn’t actually the original gazebo and it isn’t even in the same spot, but a replica was made and put in Hellbrunn Gardens. You can’t go inside the gazebo either because too many eager tourists slipped and hurt themselves when trying to reenact the dance scene. 

Mirabell Gardens

These are beautiful gardens that are free to explore. Maria and the children sang “Do-Re-Mi” as they danced around this fountain…

…into this tunnel

….through these statues

….around this fountain

….and up these stairs to hit the final note and pose!

By the end of the tour my biking skills had significantly improved, I loved Salzburg and couldn’t wait to watch the movie! Check out the movie for yourself and see how my poses line up with those of Maria!

**A few of the pictures were taken at later times when we came back to explore the area more. Except for Mirabell Gardens, which you don’t fully walk or bike through on the tour, there is enough time for pictures at all of the stops. 

Visiting Information

Fräulein Maria’s Bicycle Tours 

Location    

Tour begins and ends at Mirabell Gardens.                                                                                                                                         

Our tour guide (Sharon?) was amazing. She knew the film very well and presented all the information in a humorous and entertaining manner. Our tour group could have been better though, they didn’t seem too interested in the film. I think it would have been a lot more fun with a group who was more into acting out the scenes or at least being enthusiastic about the whole experience. Considering our group had bikers who wanted to go faster and bikers like us that were slow, our guide did an excellent job. I wish I felt a little more confident about biking and could have enjoyed the sights a bit more, but overall I am really glad we did the tour and would recommend the tour for anyone who also wants to be a bit more active and have more of a small group tour experience. It’s eco-friendly too! 

Most adults do not wear a helmet on the tour, but you can ask for one. There are two scheduled bathroom breaks throughout the tour, the first one has a charge. The first stop is really the only chance to buy food or water. There is a pretzel stand with amazing pretzels that we went back to later in our trip….two times!

Fitness level wasn’t a problem for either of us, it seemed like biking skills were more needed then being physically fit.If the biking sounds too intimaditing try the original Sound of Music Tour  by bus. 

Where to Stay in Salzburg

Altstadt Hotel Hofwirt Salzburg  was one of our favorite hotels on our  Austrian Itinerary . It is located in the New town of Salzburg and close to the main shopping and restaurant area.  It is about a 10 minute walk to Mirabel Gardens, the starting point of the bicycle tour.

More about Austria

• A full  Austria Itinerary
• Salzburg:   Untersberg ,  Hellbrunn Palace ,  Salzburg Christmas Museum
• Gmunden  (in the Salzburg Lakes District)
• Seefeld  (in Tyrol)
• Vienna :  Sisi Museum & Schönbrunn Palace
• Savory Foods
• Sweet Treats

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Untersberg & Hellbrunn Palace – Part 2

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‎ Austria ‎ >  Salzburg > Sound of Music Movie Tour & Film Locations

Top 10 Salzburg Tips | Suggested Itineraries For Salzburg

• Top 10 Things To Do
• Old Town Walking Tour
• Sound of Music Movie Tour
• Mozart Walking Tour
• Best Viewpoints In Salzburg
• More Sights
• Best Day Trips
• Helpful Visitor Tips
• Best Places To Stay
• Suggested Itineraries

Sound of Music Movie Tour In Salzburg:

Tour  Style :  Do-It-Yourself Walking Tour ( Self Guided ) Time Needed :  Tour stops 1-11 half day; 1-15 full day; all sights 2 days. Important Hours : Festival Hall Tours are at 2pm ( also 9:30am & 3:30pm  in July & August ); Villa Von Trapp room tours are at Noon ( museum 10am-6pm ); Drawf Garden closed in Winter. Fun Scale :  10 out of 10

No trip to Salzburg would be complete without visiting the filming locations from the hit movie The Sound of Music.  Adapted from the story of the real-life Von Trapp family and the hit 1959 musical play by Rodger and Hammerstein, the 1965 movie became an instant blockbuster.  Touring the filming locations in Salzburg from this iconic movie will remind you that hills are still very much “alive with The Sound of Music”.  We hope you enjoy our free Sound of Music movie tour in Salzburg!

Related Guide & Video : How To Get To The Sound of Music Meadow .

How To Divide Your Time:

In 1 day you can quickly breeze through The Sound of Music movie locations in Old Town Salzburg ( stops 1-11 ) and even tour the four just South of town ( stops 12-15 ) if you start early.  With 2 full days in Salzburg, you will have time to also visit most The Sound of Music movie tour sights further outside of town or mix in the Mozart attractions and High Salzburg Fortress from our  Old Town Salzburg Walking Tour .  Having 3 full days is ideal, but to help you better divide your time, check out our  suggested itineraries for Salzburg .

Getting Between Movie Locations:

Most of the Sound of Music movie tour locations in Salzburg are close to Old Town so they can be seen on your own by foot without paying to join a guided tour.  While you can easily walk between most of the Sound of Music film sights in Salzburg, we like to rent bicycles from Avelo in Mozartplatz ( $15 a day; April-September 9:30am-5 pm; July & August 9am-7pm; [email protected] ), especially for movie tour locations 12-15 located just outside of Old Town to the South.

Turning the walking tour into a self-guided Sound of Music bike tour will make your day more magical.  There are half-day or even overnight rentals if needed and you usually only need to make a reservation if you are in a group, need a tandem, or an e-bike.  Helmets and bike locks are included.  For Sound of Music movie locations further away from Salzburg, we have included the bus/train routes on our map, and current schedules can be found online  here .

The Sound of Music Movie Tour:

1. mirabell palace & gardens :.

About Mirabell Palace :  The entire end of the song  ‘Do Re Mi’  in the Sound of Music movie was filmed at the Mirabell Palace Gardens.  Because the grounds are open early every day, they are the perfect place to start our free Sound of Music movie tour in Salzburg.  The Mirabell Palace was completed in 1606 ( rebuilt 1693 ) as the home for Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich Raitenau’s mistress and the gorgeous gardens were built out later from 1715-30.  In addition to its Sound of Music fame, the Mirabell Palace is also where Mozart would play private concerts as a child.

As you enter the Mirabell Palace Gardens from the South, you will recognize the two impressive pairs of  Greek fencing statutes  from The Sound of Music movie as the Von Trapp children had mimicked their playful poses.  The stone figures, which were inspired by the ancient Borghese Gladiator Statue from Ephesus ( displayed in the Louvre ), each leap forward with a fist triumphantly in the air.  You likely won’t be the only ones following our free Sound of Music movie tour so don’t be shy to copy the poses as you pass by the statues.

While wandering further into the Mirabell Gardens, you’ll also remember the central spouting fountain from the ‘ Do Re Mi ‘ scenes of the Sound of Music movie.  From here make sure to turn around and check out the fantastic views the Mirabell Palace Gardens provide of  High Salzburg Fortress ( Hohensalzburg )  towering over Salzburg.  You will get many unique vantage points of the High Fortress throughout this Sound of Music walking tour.

Cost :  Free.   Garden Hours :   Main Gardens are open Daily all year from Dawn to Dusk; however, the Hedge Maze and Dwarf Garden are CLOSED each Winter.   Palace Interior Hours :  Daily 8am-6pm.   Palace Marble Hall Hours :  Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 8am-4pm; Tuesday & Friday 1-4pm.   Photos :  ( Entrance  |  Garden View  |  Front of Palace  |  Palace Interior – Staircase Angels ).

Sound Of Music Movie Connection : Scenes from the end of the song “Do, Re, Mi” have the children dancing past the spouting fountain, through the garden, and mimicking the triumphant gladiator statues.

2. Pegasus Fountain & Musical Steps :

About The Pegasus Fountain & Musical Steps : On the Northwest corner of the Mirabell Palace grounds you’ll find another flowered garden section known as the Small Parterre, which is home to the iconic  Pegasus Statue Fountain .  The Von Trapp children skip around the circular lip of the Pegasus Fountain ( added in 1913 ) in The Sound of Music movie while singing  ‘Do Re Mi’ .

Beyond the Horse Fountain, you’ll also recognize the North Terrace steps leading up to a rose garden which Maria and the kids used as a hopping musical scale .  As Maria belts out the final notes of ‘ Do Re Mi ‘ from the top of the musical steps, she stands with her right hand high in the air like the triumphant statues from the Mirabell Palace entrance.  Before hopping up the steps yourself, make sure to check out the goat-bearded unicorn statues at the bottom.  The steps from The Sound of Music are also a great place to see the mighty High Fortress towering over Salzburg.  Reaching the top, you’ll have one of the best views on this free Sound of Music walking tour.

Cost :  Free.   Garden Hours :   Daily all year from Dawn to Dusk.

Sound Of Music Movie Connection : During “Do, Re, Mi” the children dance around the Pegasus Fountain before hopping up the steps like musical notes in the dramatic finale of the song.

3. Hedge Maze & Gnome Park :

About The Hedge Maze & Gnome Park : Make sure to follow the other set of steps near the Horse Fountain ( opposite the Palace & guarded by lion statues ) across a small footbridge to the  Dwarf Gnome Park ( Zwergerlgarten ) .  Some of the sculptures were said to be modeled after real-life dwarfs in 1715, but overall the works were meant to be caricatures making fun of Salzburg’s common people who weren’t even allowed in the park ( became public in 1854) .  A total of 28 dwarf statues were carved out of local Unterberg Marble ( chalky limestone ) placed in the small eastern section of the main garden to make the upper class feel like the big people and to be the be the ugly artwork needed to balance out the ground’s large beautiful central statues in triumphant poses.

In 1815, the Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig I had the dwarf statutes removed from the palace grounds and auctioned off as he was superstitious that they would be bad luck for his pregnant wife.  Their son Otto, who was born in Mirabell Palace the same year, would later go on to become the King of Greece.  Luckily many of the statutes were bought back starting in 1919 ( resorted in 1921 & 2017 ) and a new area was made for them on top of a bastion from Salzburg’s Medieval wall where 15 of the original 28 statues now sit.  All of the figures are fun, but the dwarf wearing eyeglasses is the one that all of the Von Trapp kids patted on the head during ‘ Do Re Mi’  in The Sound of Music movie.  We love inspecting each of the baroque statues, but don’t forget to check out the pair dwarfs on the wooden bridge leading to the garden playing Pallone which was a Renaissance version of baseball where you use your arm as the bat.

As you leave the dwarf garden to exit the Mirabell Palace grounds, make sure to visit the long pergola  vine tunnel and hedge maze  which are also featured in The Sound of Music movie.  You’ll have a great time pretending that you are Maria and the children as you hop through the ivy-laced tunnel.  Personally, we have had a blast taking funny photos in the hedge maze, and it is one of our favorite stops on the Sound of Music movie walking tour in Salzburg.

Cost :  Free.   Garden Hours :  Daily 6am-Dusk; Dwarf and Hedge areas are typically closed in the Winter months.

Sound Of Music Movie Connection : Scenes from the song “Do, Re, Mi” including skipping down the vine tunnel and the children patting the dwarf with glasses on the head.

4. Salzburg Marionette Theater :

About The Salzburg Puppet Theater : People who love The Sound of Music will know this fantastic marionette theater ( operation since 1913 ) as the inspiration for one of the best scenes movie.  In the film, Maria and the children perform ‘ Lonely Goatherd ‘  with carved puppets on a ministage inside the Von Trapp Family’s golden ballroom.  This is one of our favorite scenes from The Sound of Music and it’s maybe the one song from the soundtrack that is the most difficult to get out of your head after hearing it.

The local Salzburg Puppet Theater was asked to perform in the scene, but because the troop was out on tour during the filming they were unable to do so.  The cast then relied on the assistance of famous American puppeteer Bil Baird  and his wife Cora Eisenberg to make the magic happen during the shoot in Hollywood.  The scene in the movie takes place in a studio recreation of the real-life golden Venetian ballroom which can be found inside Salzburg’s Leopold Palace.

There are no set tour hours for visiting the Salzburg Puppet Theater, but you can get a taste of the action in person with their great line up of live shows most days which focus on the operas of Mozart.  The marionette theater also now does a full-length puppet version of The Sound of Music Broadway play a few times a week since 2007 which is an extra treat.  Their Sound of Music show requires ten expert puppeteers working in harmony and they have 3 complete sets of marionettes dolls for each of the Von Trapp children to account for wardrobe changes.

Address :  Schwarzstraße 24.   Show Hours :  Various shows throughout the week with 4pm afternoon shows and an evening dinner show starting at 7:30pm ( dinner at 6:30pm ).   Website & Schedule :    Here .

Sound Of Music Film Connection : Maria and the children perform “Lonely Goatherd” with marionette puppets.  The local troop which inspired the scene also performs a full-length puppet version of The Sound of Music Broadway play.

5. Winkler Terrace :

About Winkler Terrace :  The breath-taking Winkler Terrace sits high up on Monk’s Hill ( Mönchsberg ) overlooking Old Town Salzburg from a steep cliff.  It was the perfect place for Maria and the children to bring the  ‘Do Re Mi’  song into Salzburg from the meadow as they begin to mix the order of the musical notes up for practice.  Earlier in the movie, the terrace is also where Maria appears while leaving the convent for the Von Trapps the first time.

At the time of the filming, this stunning terrace was home to the historic Cafe Winkler which offers the best panoramic views of Salzburg  on this free Sound of Music movie tour.  The M32 Café ( website , horrible service ) and the Modern Art Museum ( website ) now occupy Winkler Terrace, but great views of the city along the same stone walkway filming location have been preserved.  You will see the city center and the Salzach River below you as well as the High Fortress and the red Nonnberg Abbey spire straight across Old Town Salzburg.

It’s not just the views that make Winkler Terrace amazing as it is also surrounded by a timeless section of the fortified Medieval Militia Wall ( Burgerwehr )  which was built in 1487 to protect the city.  As you work your way along the ramparts of the wall, the small Stadt Alm Cafe ( website ) is one of our favorite places to get coffee in town.  The Stadt Alm Cafe still has great views, while being both less crowded and less expensive than the M32 Cafe which is known for horrible service.  Personally, we have experience M32’s bad service a number of times and highly recommend the rustic Stadt Alm over it.

The cliff top is also home to  Schloss Mönchstein  ( website ) & Johannes Schlössl which are beautiful castles turned hotels.  If you have extra time, at least make sure to check out Schloss Mönchstein.  First documented in 1350, the castle was nicknamed the Professor’s Castle when it was run by monks.  Nearby you’ll see other defensive structures like the old Mülleggertor city gate built in 1280.

Getting Up To Winkler Terrace :  The most accessible way up is the  Mönchsberg Elevator  which sits behind the Salzburg Museum and takes you directly to Winkler Terrace.  Look for the pink row house along the cliff with a large MdM above the entrance.  Alternatively, can take a taxi to up the backside of the cliff to the cafe or the stairs at Toscaninihof ( behind the Festival Hall ) to the top of Mönchsberg and reach the terrace with a 20-minute walk.   Elevator Cost & Hours : Adults 2.30€ one way or 3.60€ round trip; kids half off.  Is covered by the Salzburg Card.   Terrace Hours :  Daily 24 Hours; elevator stops between 7-9pm depending on the season.   Photos :  ( View From Terrace  |  View From Cafe at Night  |  Schloss Mönchstein  |  Johannesschlössl ).

Sound Of Music Film Connection : Wonderful city views are had during “Do Re Mi” from the terrace as Maria has the children mix up the order of the musical notes.  The terrace is also is where Maria appears while leaving the convent on her way to the Von Trapps for the first time.

6. Horse Bath ( Pferdeschwemme ):

About The Horse Bath : Sitting below the cliffside of Mönchsberg Hill is the largest of Salzburg’s two surviving  Medieval horse baths  which were basically car washes for horses in the Middle Ages.  In the Sound of Music movie, this long fountain is where Maria and the Von Trapp kids stop to splash in the water during the instrumental ending to  ‘My Favorite Things’ .   Additional scenes for the movie were shot at the fountain but were later cut from the film.

The Prince-Archbishop had the mural backdrop and statue of a horse being tamed added to the sprawling fountain in 1693 ( in use since 1599 ) to match the theme of his neighboring Royal Stables ( Hofmarstall ).  We love how the cliff backdrop and bright murals add drama to any photos you take here.  We will pass by the other Medieval horse bath later on this free Sound of Music walking tour in Chapter Square ( Kapitelschwemme ) which framed by two lovely willow trees below the High Salzburg Fortress.  Both horse bath fountains in Salzburg are fed by ancient underground canals in use since Roman times and revamped in both the 700s and 1200s.

Sound Of Music Movie Connection : Maria and the children dance past the Horse Bath in the song “My Favorite Things”.  A few other shots filmed here were cut from the movie.

7. Rock Riding School & Toscaninihof :

About The Rock Riding School :  Stretching for more than a city block tucked against the steep cliff of Monk’s Hill ( Mönchsberg ), the massive Rock Riding School was home to some of the most powerful film scenes in this Sound of Music movie tour.  It is here the in the movie Von Trapp children rehearse for the Folk Festival inside the Festival Hall Theater ( Festspielhaus ) with Max as the tensions with the Nazis being to arise.  Later this open-air theater is also where Captain performs  “Edelweiss”  with help from the audience before being joined on stage by his family for  “So Long, Farewell”  before fleeing Salzburg.  This was one of only two interiors scenes from The Sound of Music movie ( along with the wedding ) that were shot on location instead of in a Hollywood studio.

During the filming of the scenes, hundreds of local extras took part in the audience and were taught the words to Edelweiss on set so they could join in.  The use of the song Edelweiss is a uniquely powerful way to say goodbye as the song was the last words written by famed play-write Oscar Hammerstein.  Hammerstein was battling cancer while adapting Maria’s memoir into the hit 1959 Broadway play, which superseded the iconic film by six years.  It was essentially his own goodbye song sung through Captain.  While not a real folk song, the  Edelweiss flowers are important in Austrian culture  because it only grows high up on the mountains.  When a young lady would receive an Edelweiss she knew that the boy who gave it to her had just risked his life to pick it ( now illegal as they are protected ).

While the Von Trapp’s Folk Festival performance didn’t happen this way in real life, it is still one of the best scenes of the movie.  In reality, the family had performed here in 1935 and  won the Salzburg Music Festival in 1936 after officially forming their choir, but that was almost two years before the Nazis annexed Austria in early-1938.  After refusing to sing for Hitler’s birthday in April of 1938, the family escaped to Italy two months later, prior to the annual Salzburg Folk Festival depicted in the movie.

The real history of the Festival Hall Complex is also very interesting.  The cliffside was used as a quarry to build many of Salzburg’s churches before the Prince-Archbishop began to fill the void from the excavations with new Royal Horse Stable and Summer Riding School in 1693.  The well-named Rock Riding School ( Felsenreitschule ) was complete with an impressive 3-level, 96 box viewing gallery carved out of the rock wall.  The courtyard became important to Salzburg for horse training and riding competitions similar to the Spanish Riding School in Vienna.  We find it fitting that the arched stone portals in the wall look like a gladiator arena since Salzburg was originally a Roman town of Luvaum ( 15BC-488AD ).   Since then, the former Rock Riding School Complex has been converted into 3 separate theaters and is fun to tour even when no shows are going on.

During the 5th annual Salzburg Festival in 1925, the Royal Horse Stable was the first of three spaces turned into performance theaters in the complex.  Known as the Small Festival Hall ( Kleines Festspielhaus )  huge frescoes were painted in the theater foyer covering almost every square inch of the lobby the following year.  In 1939, the occupying Nazis had all of the beautiful frescos in the lobby removed saying they were terrible art, but luckily they were re-added in their original positions during renovations in 1956.  Further improvements took place in 2006 in preparation for the celebration of 250 years since Mozart was born in Salzburg, and space was renamed the  House for Mozart ( Haus für Mozart ) .  Today this sleek looking theater seats over 1,500, is used mainly for productions of Mozart’s operas, and still has an awesome mural filled entrance hall.

The second performance space came in 1926 when the Summer Riding School was also converted into a theater using the carved rock wall as a natural backdrop .  Called the Festival Hall ( Festspielhaus ), this open-air theater gained a partial roof ( now fully retractable ) in the 1930s and was the space featured in The Sound of Music movie.  The theater has over 1,400 seats, a sprawling 130-foot-wide stage, a 3-story arcade rock wall backdrop, and a retractable roof.  The final theater, called  Great Festival Hall ( Grosses Festspielhaus )  is inside the former Winter Riding School and didn’t open until 1960 as it required additional excavating.  This huge space is the largest in the complex with over 2,100 seats, a massive 300-foot-wide stage, and shows a lot of productions by Richard Wagner.

The only way to see the inside of the complex where the Sound of Music was filmed in Salzburg, is to either join the official theater tour or see a live show.  Even if you aren’t going inside, make sure to swing by  Toscaninihof Square  on the Eastern end of the building which is also featured in The Sound of Music movie.  In the square, a seemingly cold-blooded Rolf gives Liesl a telegram for her dad from Berlin after the children finish rehearsing for the Folk Festival.  At Toscaninihof you will also find steps leading up to the top of Mönchsberg cliff if you are looking to explore.

Address :  Hofstallgasse 1.   Guided Tour Cost :  7€.   Guided Tour Hours : September-June 2pm; July & August 9:30am, 2pm, & 3:30pm., please see their website  here .   Photo :  ( Exterior from the West ).

Sound Of Music Film Connection : Captain performs “Edelweiss” at the Rock Riding School and is joined on stage by his family for “So Long, Farewell” before escaping.  The theater is one of only two interior scenes actually shot on location in Salzburg.  Toscaninihof Square is where newly aggressive Rolf gives Liesl a telegram for her dad Berlin after the children finish rehearsing.

8. Saint Peter’s Cemetery :

About Saint Peter’s Cemetery :  Near the end of the Sound of Music movie, the Von Trapps  hide from flashlight wielding Nazis  behind tombs in the cemetery of the Nonnburg Convent.  The real Nonnburg cemetery is extremely small and modest, so as the producers turned to the cemetery at Saint Peter’s Church for inspiration to build the set in Hollywood .  Ringing the edges of the flower-filled Saint Peter’s Cemetery are large crypts for local wealthy families closed with elegant wrought iron gates which were expertly reproduced for the movie.  While the real-life Von Trapps never hid in a cemetery, the scene in the movie adds great drama and a confrontation with Rolf which is different than the original Broadway play produced in 1959.

The peaceful grounds of Saint Peter’s Cemetery may just be the most serene location in all of Salzburg and it’s easy to see how it inspired the Sound of Music film scenes.  This unique cemetery goes back prior to 700 AD with cliff-side catacombs that go back even  further to 215 AD .  We love the small Saint Margaret’s Chapel in the middle of the cemetery from 1491 and the oldest headstone we have found is from 1288.  Among the graves are Mozart’s sister Maria Anna as well as Franz Wasner who was the  real-life Max Detweiler  depicted in The Sound of Music movie.  Franz Wasner served as the Von Trapp’s advisor and choir conductor.

The most unusual thing about Saint Peter’s Cemetery to American visitors is that you do not buy the plots, but instead rent them .  Relatives of the dead must pay rent for the plot every 10 years and must serve as the caretakers.  If your family doesn’t pay your rent, they toss your body out.  This method also helps ensure that almost every rod iron headstone you pass by will have an abundance of fresh flowers.

If you making good time on this free Sound of Music film locations tour, make sure to check out inside of Saint Peter’s Church which has stunning murals lining its nave.  Next door to the church is one of our favorite places to eat called Stiftskeller Restaurant ( website ) which has nightly Mozart concerts ( more info ) and is considered to be  Europe’s oldest restaurant .  Emperor Charlemagne himself even ate here back in 803 AD.

Hours :  April-September 6:30am-7pm; October-March 6:30am-6pm.   Cost :  Cemetery is Free; Catacombs 1€ Adults, 0.60€ Children.

Sound Of Music Movie Tour Connection : Saint Peter’s was the inspiration for the cemetery the Von Trapps used to hide from the Nazis at the end of the movie, although the scene was filmed in Hollywood.  The cemetery is home to the grave of Franz Wasner who was the real-life Max Detweiler.

9. Residenz Square & Fountain :

About Residenz Square & Fountain :  Sitting on the site of a former ancient Roman Forum , Residenzplatz Square still shows off Salzburg’s early Italian ambitions.  The massive Horse Fountain in the middle of the square was one of the main filming locations where Maria family gleefully splashes while performing  ‘I Have Confidence in Me’  in The Sound of Music.  Later in the movie, Nazi soldiers march through the large square while their flag hangs above the entrance to the Old Residenz Palace.  The dreary scene of the soldiers entering town symbolizes German annexing Austria in March of 1938 in what was called the Anschluss.

The focal point of the busy Residenz Square is the centrally located 45-foot-tall  Horse Fountain ( Residenzbrunnen ) .  Four horses leap out of the base while the Greek God Trion spouts water from a seashell at the top of the fountain.  Completed in 1661, the upper section is a replica Bernini’s famous Triton Fountain in Rome and it is the largest Baroque fountain located outside of Italy .  People watching near the Horse Fountain is incredible as the Residenz Square is the center of everything Salzburg.

On the Westside of the square is  Old Residenz Palace ( Alte Residenz )  which had a Nazi flag draped over it in The Sound of Music movie.  Because of the disdain for the Nazi symbols in Salzburg, it took a lot of work to film this scene which also included soldiers marching through Residenz Square symbolizing the day Germany annexed Austria ( the Anschluss ).   The palace was built as a mansion for Salzburg’s Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich Raitenau in 1596.  Today the Old Residenz Palace has elegant staterooms, which are lavishly decorated, plus a prestigious art gallery that has Rembrandts and Rubens.

In 1602 the Archbishop built the  New Residenz ( Neugebäude )  on the Eastside of the square to serve as his guest house.  Today the New Residenz is home to the Glockenspiel Bell Tower, Heimatwerk Shop, and the  Salzburg Panorama 1929  painted by Johann Michael Sattler.  The Panorama 1929 boasts a series of stunning 360-degree panoramic paintings of many European cities made during the early 1800s.

As part of the construction to create the new open square and surrounding buildings, the Prince-Archbishop had to level many Medieval homes and a cemetery that sat here built above an ancient Roman Forum.  The Forum was from Salzburg’s early days as the settlement of Luvaum ( 15BC-488AD, pronounced U-Va-Voom ) and was partially excavated in 2008 which revealed artifacts and walls from the time of Emperor Septimius Severus ( 193-211 ).

Sound Of Music Film Tour Connection : During the song “I Have Confidence in Me”, Maria splashes in the horse fountain.  The Old Residenz also has a giant Nazi flag on its facade in the movie as soldiers march into the square marking the German annexation of Austria ( the Anschluss ).

10. Mozart Footbridge :

About Mozart Footbridge : This art deco pedestrian footbridge named after Salzburg’s most famous resident, Mozart, opened in 1903.  In the Sound of Music, the Mozart Footbridge ( Mozartsteg ) is the where Maria and the kids cross the river while pointing at the sights during the instrumental end to the song  ‘My Favorite Things’ .   The children then also cheerfully skip along the grassy riverbank during the scene.  The Mozart Bridge is a must visit for any Sound of Music movie tour in Salzburg.

Even though Salzburg dates back to 15BC as a Roman settlement of Juvavum, the Mozart Footbridge was only the third to span the river directly into the heart of Old Town.  An old Roman Bridge ( römische brücke ) was the only one over the Salzach River from 15BC-1599AD before it was replaced by the State Bridge ( staatbrücke ) and a second one wasn’t opened until 1859AD when the first Caroline Bridge ( Karolinenbrücke ) was completed.  All of the bridges had to be repaired or rebuilt following WW2.

If you do feel adventurous, the historic  Steingasse  &  Kapuzinerberg Monastery , which are featured in our  Old Town Salzburg Walking Tour , are only a short walk across the river.  Until the Mozart Footbridge was bought by the city in 1921, it actually required a toll to cross between Old Town and Stone Lane ( Steingasse ).

Sound Of Music Movie Tour Connection : Maria and the kids across the river while pointing during the instrumental end of “My Favorite Things” then skip along the grassy riverbank.

11. Nonnberg Abbey Convent :

About The Nonnberg Convent :  Sitting above the East side of Salzburg, the historic Nonnberg Abbey ( Stift Nonnberg ) was where the real-life Maria lived and the convent was depicted in many powerful scenes in the Sound of Music movie.  Founded between 712-715 by Saint Erentrudis, the niece of Saint Rupert ( Bishop of Worms ), Nonnberg is the  oldest convent located North of the Alps  which made it an excellent filming location.

Prior to being a convent, the perched location had been home to an ancient fortification dating back to when the town was the Roman settlement of Luvaum ( 15BC-488AD, u-va-voom ).  The small fortification is why Bishop Virgil later renamed the town Salzburg ( Salt Fortress ) in the late 700s.  The Nonnberg Convent has been rebuilt a couple of times since its founding with the current Gothic buildings dating back to 1464-1506.  The red onion dome  on the abbey’s belltower is one of the most iconic architectural features in Salzburg.

There were 4 great scenes filmed on the grounds of the Nonnberg Convent in the Sound of Music movie  near the abbey gates .  These iconic gate scenes include Maria leaving the abbey while wondering “What will this day be like?”, the nuns talking about Maria, the children coming to visit, and the Nazis on the hunt for the Von Trapps during the escape as the nuns disable their car.  Fans of The Sound of Music movie will also remember the nuns singing the song  ‘Maria’  in the courtyard at Nonnberg Abbey.  Permission to film inside the convent courtyard  was not allowed , so they had filmed the scenes at much larger re-created sets in both Hollywood and at a small studio in Salzburg.

Nonnberg Abbey happens to be the same convent that  the real-life Maria  ( Maria Augusta Kutschera ) moved to from Vienna at age 19 where she lived in as a postulant ( nun apprentice ) for 2 years starting in 1924.  Maria ( orphaned at age 6 ) also taught at the Benedictine Convent which led her to become an in-home tutor for one of the widowed Captain Von Trapp’s sick children.  She gave up her path toward becoming a nun and  married Georg Von Trapp here in the chapel of the Nonnberg Abbey on November 26th, 1927.  The filming of Maria and Captain’s wedding scene for the movie, however, was at Collegiate Church in Mondsee Austria which is listed later on this Sound of Music movie locations tour.  It is interesting to note that the real wedding actually took place 11 years before the Nazis came to Salzburg ( 1927 vs 1938 ) and that Maria was 25 years younger ( 22 vs 47 ) than Georg at the time.

Many visitors skip the trek up to the abbey, but we think it is worth the effort and a highlight of our Sound of Music walking tour.  Every morning at 6:45am you can hear the resident nuns sing Gregorian chants in Latin which is a real treat.  Down to 14 nuns in 2017, there were 50 nuns living here during the filming of the Sound of Music.  The interior of the Gothic abbey where they sing is beautiful with a painted wooden altar from 1515 and a carved Pieta statue from 1415.  If you want to cheat a little on your hike up, you can actually walk downhill to the Nonnberg Convent after visiting the Salzburg High Fortress.

Singing Nuns :  Every morning at 6:45am you can hear the nuns sing in the convent church.  Other Music :  Most days March-November at 4:30pm the abbey also hosts 30 minutes of live music ( mainly classical or chorus ) by local artists.  Church Service :  In addition to the major Catholic holidays, weekly church service is open to the public every Sunday at 9:30pm.   Place of Worship :  Remember to be respectful while visiting and don’t be a loud tourist.   Church & Cemetery Hours :  Daily 6:45am-Dusk (6pm in Summer ); the Convent living quarters are not open to the public.   Abbey Website :   Here .

Sound Of Music Film Tour Connection : There are 4 scenes shot at the Abbey gates, and the nuns sing “Maria” inside, although the interior scenes were shot in a studio.  The real-life Maria lived here for 2 years, she taught in the convent, and was married here in 1927, which was actually 11 years before the Nazis arrived in Salzburg.  The real nuns sing here every morning at 6:45am.

Sights Just South Of Salzburg:

12. hotel schloss leopoldskron :.

About Palace Leopold :  Beautifully reflecting over a small lake, Palace Leopold ( Schloss Leopoldskron ) served as the primary filming location in Salzburg for all of the lake terrace scenes at the Von Trapp family home in The Sound of Music movie.  The most iconic outdoor scenes filmed on the property include drinking pink lemonade on the terrace, Captain hearing his kids sing for the first time, the children and Maria falling off the boat into the lake, and numerous shots of the lakeside horse statues framing up Untersberg Mountain.

The Leopold Palace was also the original home to the Sound of Music Gazebo from the movie which was later moved to nearby to the more tourist-friendly Hellbrunn Palace Gardens after fans started climbing the palace gates to see it.  We will see the pavilion in person later on this Sound of Music movie tour in Salzburg.  You can see the gazebo on the ground of Palace Leopold being used as a background prop in many of the lakeside scenes of the movie.  A second, much larger gazebo was built at Fox Studios’ Hollywood set for all of the scenes shot inside it including dancing throughout the song “16 Going on 17”.

The Baroque Leopold Palace was built in 1736 by Salzburg’s Archbishop Leopold Firmian, was later owned by King Ludwig I, and offered the perfect backdrop to represent the Von Trapp’s stately manor.  In 1918, theater director and palace owner, Max Reinhardt renovated the famous gold Venetian ballroom in the mansion to entertain his friends.  Max went on to co-found the Salzburg Music Festival in 1920 ( official in 1925 ) which the real Von Trapp Choir won the competition in 1936 and were depicted performing at in 1938 in the movie.

It is said Max Reinhardt was the inspiration for the renaming the Von Trapp Choir’s real-life manager Franz Wasner in the screen adaptation of the family’s story.  It’s not a surprising name change as Max’s son, Wolfgang Reinhardt, bought the film rights to Maria’s 1948 memoir in 1956 and produced two popular movies about the family in German prior to the Broadway musical production ( 1959 ) and hit American film ( 1965 ) based off of the play.  Remember that like Max, all of the children’s names in The Sound of Music Movie were also changed for the film.

While the facade of Leopold Palace never appears in the movie, the inside of the elegant Venetian ballroom and grand foyer were re-created on a studio set in California for many iconic scenes in the movie.  These re-created spaces are featured when Maria is introduced to children, where the children sing at the party, and when they perform ‘Lonely Goatherd‘ with carved puppets.   The outdoor scenes showing the gates, front door, and facade of the Von Trapp home in the movie were shot at Frohnburg Mansion which is the next stop on our Sound of Music walking tour.  The  real-life Von Trapp Villa  is also listed below and is located only 1 mile away although it doesn’t appear in the film.

Today the Schloss Leopoldskron is privately owned and operates as a boutique hotel.  Staying here as a hotel guest is the only way to visit the lake terrace up close and you’ll also be able to peek inside the Venetian ballroom.  When you stay here you will notice how there aren’t trees right next to the lakeside horse statues like in the film, as a replica path and alternate set of statues were actually built 300 feet away during filming to create the perfect look.  If you don’t have a reservation at the hotel you will be limited to the free viewpoint across the Westside of the lake looking back at the Palace beautifully reflecting in the water.

If you are able to book ahead, you should really consider staying overnight here just to say you did it.  You may very well get a stay in a room where the previous owners Archbishop Leopold or King Ludwig I once slept.  Since the mansion is just South of town, it is the first filming location on our free Sound of Music movie tour in Salzburg where you should consider turning your self-guided walking tour into a do-it-yourself bike tour.

Getting To Palace Leopold :  Unless you are staying overnight at the Palace you can’t visit the lakeside terrace, but you can see it from a popular viewpoint across the water.  You can walk here in about 25 minutes from either Nonnberg Abbey or from the heart of Old Town by taking the steps over Mönchsberg Hille from Toscaninihof Square.  You can also take Bus 25 to the Seniorenheim Nonntal Bus Stop and walk a quarter mile to the West of the Palace near Han-Donnenberg Park.  Biking here is also a great option which we prefer and a taxi ride is a good backup.

Staying Overnight :  You can book a room through the Palace’s booking  website  for around 150-200€ a night in the Meierhof guesthouse or 400-600€ a night for a suite in the main building.   Tours :  Outside of a few special events, you have to be a guest of the hotel to get a tour or access to the terrace, however, you can stroll along most of the small lake and take photos of the exterior from a distance.   Hotel Website :   Here .

Sound Of Music Movie Tour Connection : All of the lake terrace scenes at the Von Trapp home were filmed here.  These include Maria falling off the boat into the lake with the children, Captain hearing the children sing, drinking pink lemonade, and the lakeside horse statues framing up Untersberg Mountain.  Leopold Palace was the original home of the Gazebo during filming.  The main foyer and staircase along with the golden ballroom from this mansion were re-created and filmed in a Hollywood studio.

13. Frohnburg Palace :

About Frohnburg Palace :  The Frohnburg Palace ( built in 1660 as Grafenau Palace ) by Prince-Archbishop Max Gandolf was used as the backdrop for the Von Trapp family home in every scene that does not involve the lake.  The most iconic feature you’ll recognize is the  Von Trapp Mansion Gates  where Maria arrives to meet the family while singing  ‘I have Confidence’ .  Frohnburg Palace is also where the kids tried to quietly push the family car past the Nazis and where the Captain pulls down the Nazi flag from the gate after the couple’s honeymoon.  They went to such extremes during the filming that even inside one scene, one angle may look onto the lake at Leopold Palace then the next angle of the same scene would be at Frohnburg Palace.  Front and Back

Although the couple’s real wedding took place in 1927 ( 11 year before the Nazis arrived ), Captain really did refuse to fly a Nazi flag at their home.  The family even refused to sign at Hitler’s birthday party on April 20th, 1938 and fled Salzburg just two months after.

The grounds of the mansion have been part of the Mozarteum Music Academy since 1950, but the gates and wall from the movie are both accessible right next to the road.  If you are visiting Salzburg in July or August, you can stay here in the dorms here as the school is not in session for as cheap as 38 euros a night with a 3-night minimum.

Getting Here :  Take the Bus 25 route to the Kleingmain Hacksteinerweg Bus Stop and walk one long block East to Hellenbrunner Allee.  Walking it is 35 minutes from both Palace Leopold and Old Town Salzburg or 20 minutes to the Sound of Music Pavillion at Hellbrunn Palace.   Nearby :  Schloss Herrnau is located just a short walk to the east and is one of our favorite private homes to photograph.   Palace Website :   Here .   Summer Hotel Website :   Here .

Sound Of Music Film Locations Tour Connection : Used to depict the gates of the Von Trapp estate where Maria arrives to meet the children singing the song “I have Confidence”, the kids try to quietly push the family car through the gates, and where Captain tears down a Nazi flag after their honeymoon.  A total of 5 scenes were shot here.

14. The Sound of Music Pavilion :

About The Sound of Music Pavilion :  One of the most famous and romantic scenes of The Sound of Music was filmed in this timeless gazebo when Liesl sings  ’16 going on 17′ .  Liesl badly twisted her ankle filming these scenes but was luckily able to tough it out.  Later in the movie, Maria and Captain fall further in love while singing ‘ Something Good ‘ in the gazebo.  It is still one of the most romantic stops today on our Sound of Music movie tour.

During the filming of the movie, the Sound of Music Gazebo was constructed on the edge of Leopold Palace more as a background prop for the lake scenes .  There was a second, much larger version of the gazebo built at the film studio in Hollywood which offered oversized space needed to shoot the scenes inside the pavilion.  After filming wrapped up the local gazebo was given to the city of Salzburg as a gift and initially remained on the grounds of the Leopold Palace.  After rapid fans started climbing the walls of the private estate to get to the gazebo, it was restored and moved to the more tourist-friendly grounds of Hellbrunn Palace.

The pavilion today is outside the walls the near the Eastern entrance to the Hellbrunn Palace and you  don’t even need to pay  the Hellbrunn entry fee to see it.  The public is not allowed inside the Gazebo, but you can still walk up to and dance around it.  Near the Gazebo is a large park filled with tons of flowers that locals like to visit to get out of Salzburg for a few hours.

If you are making pretty good time on this Sound of Music walking tour you should consider visiting the  Trick Fountains  at Hellbrunn Palace.  The fountains are only available as part of a guided tour but is a very memorable time.  The tours last about an hour and take you through grottoes, ponds, and walkways all filled with trick fountains that are out to get you.  If you have kids with you, the Hellbrunn Fountains will be the most fun thing they do in Salzburg.  Your ticket for the Trick Fountains tour also lets you tour the inside of the Hellbrunn Palace itself which is pretty fancy and has some amazing ceilings.

Meaning Mouth of The Spring , Hellbrunn Palace and gardens were built by Prince-Archbishop Markus Sittikus from 1612-19 as a daytime retreat on the site of an old hunting lodge from the 1400s.  It’s said that during the construction the Palace was home to the first opera performance North of the Alps in 1616.  Like the trick fountains, the Hellbrunn Palace was really made for fun and was built with  ZERO bedrooms .  The vast wooded grounds of the estate were settled as early as 500BC and have had a large villa since Roman times.

Getting To Hellbrunn Palace :  Bus 25 from Old Town Salzburg stops right here ( Fürstenweg ) and it’s a 15-minute ride from Salzburg.  Alternatively a 50-minute walk with limited sidewalks from both Old Town and Palace Leopold or 20 minutes from Frohnburg Palace.  Bike rental is also a great option to see it all.   Gazebo Hours :  Daily Dawn-Dusk all year.   Palace Hours :  April, October, & November 9am-4:30pm; May, June, September 9am-5:30pm; July & August 9am-6pm.   Trick Fountain Hours :  The Trick Fountains have tours from 9am-9pm in the peak season but are closed for Winter from November-March.   Cost :  You can see the Gazebo for Free near the Eastern entrance to the Palace.  Tours of the grounds included both the Palace interior and Trick Fountains of 10.50€ for Adults, 5€ for kids.   Palace Website :   Here .

Sound Of Music Movie Tour Connection : Where Liesl and Rolf sing “16 going on 17” while dancing around.  Maria and Captain also later sing “Something Good” in the Gazebo.  Most interior scenes had to be filmed in a studio as the inside of the real Gazebo was too small.

15. The Von Trapp Villa :

About The Von Trapp Villa :  While not used as a filming location in the Sound of Music movie, this beautiful yellow 22-room mansion ( built in 1863 ) was where the  real Von Trapp family lived  in from 1923 to 1938.  The widowed George Von Trapp was able to acquire the mansion for himself and his 7 children after being granted baron status for his valor in as a Captain in the Imperial Navy in WW1.

In 1926, Maria Kutschera was sent to the Von Trapp family home by the Nonnberg Convent to tutor Captain’s ill daughter Maria ( children’s names in the movie were all different ).  One year later the couple married which was actually 11 years before the Nazis arrived in Austria in early-1938.  Georg Was 47 at the time they married and Maria was only 22.  Maria and Captain had another 2 children of their own ( of 3 ) while living in the Von Trapp Villa.

In 1936 the Von Trapps lost a lot of money in a bank crash, had to start renting out rooms in the lower level of their home, and started to perform professionally as the  Chamber Choir Trapp  to make money.  Sent by the local Archbishop, priest Franz Wasner came to live with the Von Trapps during this time and ended up becoming the family’s choir director depicted in the Sound of Music film as the character Max Reinhardt.

By early-1938 the Nazis arrived into the newly annexed Salzburg and the family began to plan their departure.  In June of 1938, the Von Trapps used the Salzburg Aigen Station in front of their mansion to escape by train to Italy ( not Switzerland and no hiking ), just 1 day before Hitler closed the Austrian borders.  Untersberg Mountain which they were depicting hiking over for freedom in the movie actually led right to Hitler’s backup command center in Berchtesgaden and Switzerland is a 250 mile ( 400 km ) hike away over some of the Alps most rugged mountains.

At the time the family fled Salzburg, Maria was pregnant with the couples 3rd child ( Captain’s 10th ), who was later born a few months after the family reached America by boat from London.  The family’s estate was the seized as the private home for SS Chief Heinrich Himmler during the war before being returned to the Von Trapps who sold it to a local Catholic mission.

From 1936-1956 the Von Trapp family performed in over 2000 shows in 30 countries before settling on an American farm estate they turned into a hotel.  Georg Von Trapp died of lung cancer in Vermont in 1947, but Maria lived until 1987 and even had a brief cameo in the Sound of Music movie.

In 2008, the Von Trapp Villa was  renovated into a hotel  which you can tour or stay in today.  While you’ll probably want to use a bike or taxi to visit the Villa, it is worth a stop to work some real-life history into our Sound of Music movie tour in Salzburg.  Opened in the lower floor of the mansion is the educational Sound of Music Museum which has behind the scenes info dedicated to the filming of the movie.  They have audio guides available and the visiting hours are open every day.

Getting To The Von Trapp Villa :  The Villa is located directly next to the Salzburg Aigen train station creating easy access just a 10-minute ride from Salzburg Station on the way to Werfen.  By Bike, it will take about 10-15 minutes from Old Town Salzburg ( 30 on foot ) and about 15 minutes by bike from either Leopold Place or Mirabell Palace.  Taxi from Old Town only takes 5 minutes.   Arrive By Train :  From Salzburg Central Station the S3 line leaves around every 30 minutes and after 4 stops gets directly to Villa Von Trapp at the Salzburg Aigen Station which the real family had used to escape.

Sound of Music Museum Hours :   Open daily from 10am-6pm.  Museum Cost :  Adults 8€; Kids 6-12 are 4€; under 6 are free.   Villa Tours : Tours of the bedrooms are available daily at Noon with a reservation only for 15€.   Hotel Website :   Here .

Sound Of Music Film Locations Tour Connection : Was the real-life Von Trapp family mansion and across the road is the train stop they used to escape to Italy just one day before the borders were closed.

Locations Further Away From Salzburg:

16. werfen picnic meadow ( werfen, austria ):.

About The Werfen Picnic Meadow :  Perched just above the village of Werfen is the Gschwandtanger Meadow where Maria and children have their  picnic scene  during the start of the song “Do Re Mi”.  While you needed permission in the past to visit the farm meadow, the city of Werfen created an  official Sound of Music Trail  in 2015 to open it up to visitors.  A short 1.4km hike brings you above the village where you can re-create the picnic scene for yourself.

Make sure to take in the views of the valley and  Hohenwerfen Castle  below which dates back to 1077.  The Fortress is the sister of Old Town Salzburg’s Hohensalzburg Castle and is highly visible in the Sound of Music picnic meadow scene.  If you are looking to make your visit to Werfen a full day affair, make sure to tour the castle and also visit the World’s Largest Ice Cave sitting high above the city.  You’ll have to start early to do both.

Getting To Werfen :  Trains run every 30 minutes between Salzburg and Werfen and the journey lasts just 45 minutes. A hiking path leads from the train station to the castle and another up the hill to the meadow.  The ÖBB offers practical combo-tickets ‘With the train to Hohenwerfen Fortress’.  More information is available  here .  Visiting In Winter : Bother the Sound of Music Meadow trail and the Werfen Ice Caves will be closed during the Winter months due to snow, but the Fortress is open all year.

Sound Of Music Film Locations Tour Connection : The famous picnic scene where Maria and the kids first start the song “Do, Re, Mi”.

17. Sound Of Music Meadow ( Marktschellenberg, Germany ):

About The Sound of Music Meadow :  Made famous in the opening scene of The Sound of Music movie with a twirling Julie Andrews, this timeless meadow is where we learned that the  ‘Hills are alive with the Sound of  Music’ .  Officially called Mehlweg, the Julie Andrews meadow is only 12.5 miles south of Salzburg in Marktschellenberg, Germany.  Although previously connected to a guesthouse, the property has been a  private farm  since 2010 and is no longer regularly accessible to visitors.  You can, however, visit the Picnic Meadow in Werfen which is also on this do-it-yourself Sound of Music tour.

During the filming of the opening scene here, Julie Andrews had to be transported up the hillside each day in an ox cart to reach the meadow.  Even though it was in the Summertime ( early June of 1964 ), it took them 5 days to finally get enough sunshine in the meadow for the perfect shot.  When the conditions were finally right, the strong force of the wind from the helicopter knocked Julie down 4 out of 9 tries before they finally got the famous shot of her twirling.  Because of how loud the tiny helicopter was, they had to do a voice over for part of Julie Andrews singing ‘ The Hills Are Alive With The Sound of Music’ .

A month after shooting the twirling portion with the helicopter, they returned to Mehlweg Meadow to finish the rest of the opening scene of the movie before leaving Salzburg.  The birch trees Julie Andrews walks by were actually fake ( notice how you can’t see the tops or bottoms? ) and other dressings like the stream were added artificially for the filming of the movie, but even stripped down the meadow is amazing.

Getting To The Sound Of Music Meadow :  Although the Sound of Music Meadow is near the top of the Marktschellenbergiking trail and accessible by car/taxi it is now part of a private farm and not open to the public.  You can thank visitors who repeated walked through the owner’s family garden and irritated their sheep for the lack of access.  Respect their privacy and visit the Picnic Meadow in Werfen or the nearby hills in Berchtesgaden for the full Sound of Music Meadow experience.

Sound Of Music Film Locations Tour Connection : Julie Andrews twirls around in circles during the opening scenes of the Sound of Music while singing “The Hills Are Alive With The Sound of Music”.

18. Roßfeld Mountain ( Berchtesgaden, Germany ):

About Roßfeld Mountain :  The Alpine toll road that loops around Roßfeld Mountain East of  Berchtesgaden  Germany was used to depict the family’s climb to safety over nearby Untersberg Mountain at the end of The Sound of Music movie.  With a total of 12 takes they only used two clips with one from the South and one from the North with the Purtschellerhaus Alpine hut visible in the background.  While we love this iconic closing scene from The Sound of Music movie with the family singing  ‘Climb Every Mountain’,  it wasn’t very accurate.

For starters, the real-life Von Trapp family  escaped by train  and not by climbing over nearby Untersberg Mountain in real life.  The family lived right next to a train station and were quite lucky as the day after their train left for Italy in June of 1938, Hitler shut down the borders of Austria.  Even if the family had tried to hike over Untersberg, it would have been 175 miles across the rugged Alps to Switzerland for safety.  It also would have been hard to start the hike here as Hitler’s backup command center in Berchtesgaden was nearby.  The command center of Obersalzburg was home to the famous Eagles Nest and the Berghof mansion where Hitler spent more time than anywhere else during the war.

All of that being said about the film’s inaccuracies, this stretch of the Rossfeldstraße is still amazing to visit for drivers and the mountain is popular with skiers in the Winter.  If you wish to visit the summit of the real Untersberg Mountain you can bus there easily from Salzburg and Berchtesgaden followed by a quick cable car ride.  More adventurous visitors can also hike 2 hours from the summit to the Untersberg Mountain Ice Caves ( Eishöehle ) which is only ice cave in Germany.  Keep in mind that there are other ice caves in Werfen and Hallstatt Austria that are way easier to get to.

Getting To Roßfeld :  The Alpine loop toll road around Roßfeld is best accessed by rental car or motorcycle.   Getting From Here To Untersberg :  Take bus 840, 25, or 28 to the village of Saint Leopold then ride on the Untersbergbahn Alpine Lift Route to the top of the mountain if desired.  The Ice Cave is a 2-4 hour hike out of the way from the Alpine Lift.

Sound Of Music Movie Tour Connection : Roßfeld was used to depict the family’s escape over nearby Untersberg Mountain during the closing scenes with “Climb Every Mountain”.  In real life they took a train to Italy and climbing this mountain would have put them right at Hitler’s backup command center in Berchtesgaden.

19. Collegiate Wedding Church ( Mondsee, Austria ):

About The Wedding Church :  Located 16 miles East of Salzburg, the Collegiate Church ( Kollegienkirche ) of Saint Micheal in Mondsee ( Moon Lake ) was the film location for  Maria and Captain’s wedding  in The Sound of Music movie.  Often called the Wedding Church or Mondsee Cathedral, this bright yellow church was the perfect fallback setting for the wedding after filming was not allowed inside Nonnberg Abbey .

It is surprising to know that the timeless wedding scene was actually the first thing the crew filmed when they arrived in April of 1964 for their just over 3 months of shooting around Salzburg.  The filming of the wedding processional inside of the Collegiate Church was one of only two major indoor scenes ( along with the singing contest ) of the movie that was shot on location instead of in a studio.  The wedding was all filmed in one day ( April 23rd ) with the help of 600 local extras, and the crew attended other weddings here the week beforehand for scouting.  In the busy season, the Mondsee Church from the Sound of Music movies hosts up to 8 weddings a day .

The 170-foot tall twin towers and lavish pink interior are both awesome, but the Collegiate Church has a history also.  The first Mondsee Abbey was established in 748AD ( rebuilt in 1500 ) making it one of the oldest in Austria and like Salzburg, the village itself goes back to Roman times.  In addition to the bright pink interior seen in the Sound of Music’s wedding processional, the Church is renown for its 7 side altars and the main Baroque altar which the statue of Saint Micheal from 1626.

In 2005,  Pope John Paul II  upgraded the spacious Collegiate Church Saint Michael from a Cathedral to a Basilica.  Mondsee is a pretty small village but the quaint square in the center of town near the Church is very rewarding and offers easy access to take a nice lakefront stroll.  As you head toward the lake, you’ll see the trees the children are hanging out of as Captain drives by with the Baroness and Max.

Getting To Mondsee From Salzburg :  Quickest way to get here is bus 140 which leaves every 40 minutes and only takes 50 minutes for the journey.  If you have a car it is only 20-22 minutes away.  Consider checking out the nearby cities of Saint Gilgen or Hallstatt if you are going this direction.   Visiting Hours :  Most days 9am-7am, optional donation suggested.   Church Website :   Here .

Sound Of Music Film Locations Tour Connection : The Collegiate Church served as the film location of Maria and Captain’s wedding processional.  It was one of only two major interior scenes of the movie shot on location instead of a movie set.

20. Mondsee Lake ( Mondsee, Austria ):

About Mondsee Lake :  Mondsee is one of the many amazing lakes you can easily visit near Salzburg.  Other favorite lakes of ours include Kings Lake in Berchtesgaden, Wolfgang See near Saint Gilgen, and Hallstatt See.  Kings Lake, Obersee, & Fuschlsee are all seen  in aerial shots  in the opening scenes of the Sound of Music.  As you head toward Mondsee Lake from the church you’ll see another spot from the movie, the trees the children are hanging out of as Captain drives by with the Baroness and Max.

Further along the Eastern edge of Mondsee, you’ll find one of best Sound of Music film locations where the Maria and  the kids ride bikes  during “Do, Re, Mi”.  As the children bike around Lake Mondsee, you can see the Zwölferhorn Mountain visible across the water.  When you picture a Sound of Music bike tour, the path around Mondsee is by far the most iconic route to pedal.

Getting To The Mondsee Lake Bike Scene Location :  From Mondsee, you can either bike to the other side of the lake in 6 miles or take Bus 596 from the bus station to the Innerschwand/Mondsee Niedersee Stop in about 20 minutes, but the bus only leaves every 2 hours.

Sound Of Music Film Locations Tour Connection : Where the kids hang from the row of trees as Captian’s car drives by and where they ride bikes with Maria along the water during the song “Do, Re, Mi”.

Local Sound of Music Tour Guides:

1. Bob’s Tours : Bob’s Tours offer both a half day and full day Sound of Music Tours in intimately sized groups with 8 person vans.   The 4 Hour Tour covers all the main Sound of Music sights right in Salzburg including Hellbrunn Palace but also goes to the Leopold Palace, the Salzkammergut Lake District, village of St. Gilgen, and the Church of Mondsee.  The 8 Hour Tour takes the experience a step further by taking visitors to the unforgettable lakeside town of Hallstatt.  Hours : 4 Hour Tour leaves at 9am & 2pm; 8 Hour Tour leaves at 9am only.  Cost:   4 Hour Tour is €45 for adults and €35 for children; 8 Hour Tour is €90 for adults and €70 for children.

2. Panorama Tours : Panorama Tours is more of the traditional larger tour bus style tours with a commercial feel.  This tour covers pretty much the same sights as Bob’s Tours 4 Hour Tour, and although it’s not as personal, it is a great sure fire tour.  Hours: Leaves at 9:30am & 2pm.  Cost: Adults are €40 and children are €40.  Has a hotel package deals that include a room, breakfast and 4 Hour Tour which ranges in price from €135 to €200 per person.

3. Maria’s Bike Tours : We love Maria’s Bike Tours!  Their 3.5-hour-long tours do the best job of letting you experience the Sound of Music instead of just seeing it through a window of a van or bus.  People of all ages like this tour because although it is a bike tour, it doesn’t require you to be super in shape.  The biggest advantage is that it has an afternoon tour in peak season while most of the SOM tours only depart at 9am.  Did we mention, they provide the bikes and helmets?  Meeting Point:  Mirabell Palace Entrance.  Hours: Leaves daily at 930am and runs from May 1st-Sept 31st; 430pm tour starts in June; reservations required June & August.  Cost: Adults €24, Ages 10-15 €15, Children 10 and under €10; bike is included for free and you can rent it for the duration of the day for €8.  Alternative :  You can rent a bike without a guide from Mozartplatz and follow our full Sound of Music movie tour on your own.

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Disclaimer: Information on this page and in our walking tours were deemed accurate when published, however, details such as opening hours, rates, transportation, visa requirements, and safety can change without notice. Please check with any destinations directly before traveling.

Lonely Goatherd Bike Tour

Before we became licensed Austria Guides and founded the first Free Tour in Salzburg, we were Salzburg bike tour guides. We both started out as rickshaw drivers, but Leo later led Sound of Music bike tours around Salzburg and to the filming locations of the Sound of Music for seven years. Therefore, we wanted to create our own bike tour of Salzburg.

While the Free Tour covers the old town and the history of Salzburg, the Lonely Goatherd Bike Tour takes us into the beautiful surroundings with the theme of the Sound of Music. In 2,5 hours, we ride along the best bike paths and visit some of the most interesting places and Sound of Music filming locations on the outskirts of Salzburg.

Why take a Bike Tour around Salzburg?

Take a Thrilling and Fun Ride with Scenic Views, Movie Moments, and Sightseeing On Comfortable Bikes!

While we love walking, our radius on a walking tour is limited. And while a bus tour increases our radius, it limits the perspective. Bicycles on the other hand are not only fun but the perfect middle ground between walking and being enclosed in a vehicle. That’s why we offer bike tours to explore the surroundings of Salzburg and the Sound of Music filming locations.

What’s the Bike Tour about?

It just so happens that some of the best bike tracks around Salzburg are also where the Sound of Music was filmed. Two palaces were used in the filming of the movie, both of which are on our path. Additionally, we head down Hellbrunner Allee and visit Hellbrunn Palace, where the Gazebo from the 16-17 song was built after the filming was completed, and Nonnberg Abbey, which is the Nunnery where Maria was.

You will be taken on a fun and informative 2,5-hour tour of Salzburg’s surroundings on comfortable city bikes. You’ll be guided along safe, well-surfaced routes by an expert, stopping for pictures, reenacting movie scenes, and singing along to your favorite tunes throughout. Whether you are a family, honeymooning, traveling alone, or with your partner, our bike tour will bring you together with other Sound of Music enthusiasts and travelers.

Where the Salzburg Bike Tour takes us

The bike tour is not a history tour. It’s best combined with the Free Walking Tour or even with Leo’s Nuns and Nazis tour, an old town walking tour of the second world war in conjunction with the Sound of Music.

The Lonely Goatherd Bike Tour, our Salzburg Bike Tour, begins near Salzburg’s old town, but immediately ventures out into the surrounding area, towards the south of Salzburg. Salzburg is small. Therefore, it takes no more than 2 minutes for us to go from the meeting point to a lush green fairy tale with the Alps in the background. The bike ride takes us up to Nonnberg Abbey, the Abbey from the Sound of Music, to Leopoldskron Palace and Lake Leopoldskron, along Hellbrunn Allee to Hellbrunn Palace, where the pavilion from the movie is located.

Unipark Salzburg

The meeting point for the Bike Tour is a modern University Building on the outskirts of Salzburg, only 10 minutes walking from the heart of the old town.

Nonnberg Abbey

The Abbey is not only the abbey from the Sound of Music but also the oldest nunnery in the world and the only ascent on our Salzburg Bike Tour.

Leopoldskron Castle

On our Salzburg Bike Tour, we cycle around lake Leopoldskron and admire the castle, which is privately owned, from the opposite side of the lake.

Frohnburg Castle

Frohnburg Castle on Hellbrunner Allee was used as the front of the house in the Sound of Music. It’s where Maria first arrives when coming from the Abbey.

Hellbrunner Allee

The oldest stately avenue in Europe stretches for 5 kilometers from the old town to Hellbrunn Palace. It is the number one best cycling route around Salzburg.

Hellbrunn & The Gazebo

Hellbrunn Palace is a highlight of the surroundings of Salzburg, the best place to cycle to, and the place where the pavilion from the Sound of Music was placed.

Lonely Goatherd Bike Tour Meeting Point

The meeting point for the Salzburg Bike Tour is next to Unipark, a modern university building in Salzburg’s Nonntal area, about 10 minutes walking from the fortress and the Cathedral. Coming from the old town, the bikes are visible as soon as you reach the square in front of the university, as it is a large open space. Facing the University building the bikes are on the right side.

More Information

• Meeting Point

Erzabt-Klotz-Straße 1, Salzburg, Austria

The tour has been developed by licensed Austria Guides who have passed on their knowledge to passionate guides and Sound of Music lovers who will equip you with bikes and helmets before taking you to the meadows around Salzburg.

• Tour concept by licensed local guides
• Comfortable bike with basket and lock
• Up to 15 wonderful people per tour
• Well-informed, friendly bike tour guide
• Helmets are available on demand
• Postcards with our own photography
• When to book?

Because tours are limited to 15 participants and because we need to provide a bicycle for everyone. Therefore, reservations are required. You find all upcoming tours in the calendar below.

• Accessibility

Unfortunately, this tour is not wheelchair accessible.

Pets are not allowed

Price: €30,- per Person

Our bike tour of Salzburg costs €30,- per person and per bike. In case you bring your own bike, the price is reduced to €27,-.

This Tour is Currently Unavailable

We’re sorry, but at this time, there are no scheduled dates for this activity. We hope to offer it again soon!

Reviews of the Free Walking Tour

Frequently asked questions.

Welcome to the Frequently Asked Questions of the Lonely Goatherd Bike Tour. You can use this page to inform yourself. If you have a question that is not answered here, please don’t hesitate to  contact us .

Yes, you can absolutely ride your own bike on the tour and you will even get a €3,- discount. Instead of €30,- you only pay €27,-.

We schedule the bike tours around 14 days in advance depending on the season and the guide and bike availability. Please check again later, if your desired time is not yet on the schedule. In case there is no bike tour on the desired date, you are also welcome to inquire about a private bike tour.

You can cancel the bike tour until 48 hours before the toYou can cancel the bike tour up to 48 hours before the tour starts, but there will be a 10% cancellation fee. This is because we have to transfer the money manually and we do not get a refund of credit card or PayPal fees that are incurred when booking.

You should wear comfortable clothes and shoes and a water bottle. Especially in the summer months, it can be hot, and even if the bike tour is not particularly strenuous, we need to be well hydrated. Halfway through the tour, there is a possibility to buy water or fill up your water bottle.

Ask at the reception or search the address from your booking confirmation on Google Maps. Walking is the best mode of transport in Salzburg. Except for some hotels on the outskirts, everything in Salzburg, including the meeting point for the bike tour, is within walking distance. Google enabled offline maps so I recommend downloading the map of Salzburg and following their lead.

Although you probably associate Salzburg with mountains, our route is flat. Also, since we are a group, the velocity is low and since we are cycling to see the countryside of Salzburg and its sights, we take frequent breaks. Therefore, the bike tour is not strenuous at all. The distance we cycle is about 15 kilometers which are about 10 miles.

Yes, the Salzburg bike tour ends where it begins, because we have to bring the bikes back to the bike shed.

Since the surroundings of Salzburg are beautiful, we of course take frequent photo stops on the bicycle tour. There is one extended break in Hellbrunn because Hellbrunn is a pretty place and one that we have to take a closer look at. In Hellbrunn there are restrooms and you buy snacks there. The break in Hellbrunn is about halfway through the tour.

The bike tour will not be canceled unless the weather prediction is dangerously bad. Salzburg is the Austrian city with the most precipitation. The rain in Salzburg even has its own name, the “Salzburger Schnürlregen”, Salzburg string rain. This is because in Salzburg it can rain continuously, consistently all day, or even for several days. You should, therefore, bring a rain jacket but the tour takes place in any weather.

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The Ultimate Sound of Music Bike Tour

11/21/19 | Austria , Biking , family , Salzburg , Sponsored , Travel , UNESCO

During our family trip earlier this month, it was not hard to pick our favorite activity – the Sound of Music Bike Tour won, hands down.   For as long as I can remember, my Mom sang along to Julie Andrews whether we were watching the Sound of Music movie, listening to the cassette in the car (#oldschool), or the official movie soundtrack CD on the stereo.  The songs were so contagious that, even though it has been more than a decade since I have lived at home, the songs came rushing back to me and I couldn’t help but shout at the top of my lungs, “Doe, a deer, a female deer – Ray, a drop of golden sun -Me, a name I call myself!”.  Thus, it was a no brainer in planning our trip to Salzburg that we oriented the trip around the Fräulein Maria’s Bicycle Tour. 

No matter where you look, the ratings for Fräulein Maria’s Bicycle Tour are off the charts  – 4.9 / 5 on Google Reviews or 5/5 on Trip Advisor and I would agree with all of these, a clear 10/10 in my book.  For our bike tour, one of the last of the season, we had a guide named Annabel who was could not have been nicer and knowledgeable to boot and since she has led more than 140 bike tours in 2019 alone, you better believe she knew her stuff.  Here are some of the places we visited, in order of the tour: 

Mirabell Gardens   Located in the heart of Salzburg the Mirabell Palace and its gardens date back to 1606 when it was built by a prince-archbishop for his 15 kids.  He was later kicked out of the palace by his own nephew but that is a story for a different day. Hundreds of years later, the real Maria likely visited this now UNESCO World Heritage Site during her time in Salzburg but it is still probably most famous for being the do-rae-me garden from the film.

Pferdeschwemme (Horse Pond)  This gorgeous fountain is named the horse fountain, and it literally was for horses. As we did the tour the first week of November the fountain was not running and the main statues had its “winter hat” on but through the clear covering you could still see the majesty and the murals were as vibrant as ever. 

Felsenreitschule – This Salzburg performance venue, also called the Rock Riding School, is where all nine of the Von Trapp’s sang “So long farewell auf Wiedersehen Good bye” as part of the 1938 Salzburg Summer Festival and then escaped the Nazis.   We were not able to go in but apparently it is still the same as in the move, more than 80 years later, just with a retractable roof because of how often it rains. 

Residenzplatz –  This large square is one of the most famous and most visited in Salzburg – it is just next to the Salzburg Cathedral and made it in quite a few scenes including Maria’s song about confidence en route to the captain.  Fun fact, the real Maria and her daughter were extras in the film here.

We also learned during the Sound of Music bike tour that the Nazis invasion scene was filmed here but it was not quite historically accurate – unlike the depiction in the film, Austria actually conducted a referendum to determine whether or not to let the Nazis in and thus the rule of the Nazis in Salzburg was actually the will of the people at the time but Hollywood decided a full fledged occupation would sell the story better. We also learned that 20th Century Fox did not tell the locals when they were filming that scene and locals thought the Nazis were coming back for round two, less than 20 years after the end of WWII.

St Peter’s Cemetery – This was one of the only spots we visited that was not actually in the movie, but only because 20th Century Fox was not allowed to film here.  Therefore, the cemetery at the end of the Sound of Music is a replica of this one and the original is located behind the oldest church in the city and dates back to 215 AD.  Oh, and there a delicious bakery right by the entrance, Stiftsbäckerei St Peter, make sure to pop by there too!

Untersberg – From more than a dozen of vistas in Salzburg you can see the Untersberg mountain and it is understanble as it’s highest peak is nearly 2,000 meters (nearly 6,500 feet) and in early November is already snowcapped.  The mountain, part of the Alps, is so large that part of it sits in Germany and the other part in Austria. The mountain is not only famous for the opening scene where Julie Andrews is twirling on the mountain at the opening of the film or when the whole family climbing over at the end to escape but also the backdrop of the 2019 family Christmas card.    Oh, and two fun facts, the movie had the Von Trapp family escaping to Switzerland but Germany is in the way and from the view point outside the Abbey you can the Kehlsteinhaus, Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest, on a clear day. 

The Covent, the Nonnberg Abbey –  Often in Europe I find when someone tells me a date I have to double check I heard correctly – perhaps because nothing in the US is older than a few hundred years but yes, this Abbey was founded in 713 AD and has been in use since then.  Though our guide had a very witty pun – the abbey has space for over 300 nuns, but now there are only 24 and, “soon there might be nun”. We went through the gates of the Abbey, World UNESCO site, – where I actually had injured my finger just like little Gretel – and while it was closed for cleaning we were still able to explore the gardens and the architecture was gorgeous. 

I had watched the movie the night before we went on the bike tour (on the train from Vienna to Salzburg) but if your memory was not as fresh as mine, or even if you had never seen the movie, there were very helpful laminated cards on all of the bikes with stills of the movie so you could orient yourself at each of the  locations.

Schloss Leopoldskron – While officially a palace, this stately building is often called the Villa Trapp and the name would make you think this is the stately home from the film, that is only half true – it is more accurate to just call in the back of the Von Trapp house, as they used another for the front. this is home to many famous scenes from the movie including the pink lemonade scene and the baroness kiss with the kids, but my favorite is when they all fall in the water in their curtain clothes.  And I loved learning new facts on the Sound of Music Bike Tour like the lake was man made and only a meter deep. 

Schloss Frohnburg or the Frohnburg Palace  As the Villa Von Trapp was comprised of two homes, this gorgeous facade was used to film the front of home and was in quite a few scenes – when Maria arrives, gates pushing these car, before the ball (not their real house).  Nowadays this 17th century country house is home to the Mozarteum Music Academy and when we were outside, we could hear a student practicing the trumpet (and the practice was much needed if you catch my drift). 

The Gazebo – The Sound of Music Gazebo was actually built for the film and after the shooting wrapped, was given to the city of Salzburg.  It was originally located on the grounds of Leopoldskron, the back of the Von Trapp house, but it was moved to the Hellbrunn gardens in 1991 where we saw it.  

And believe it or not, we saw even more on this tour – like the Mozart Bridge – with the whole tour spanning nearly four hours.  Although the tour was this lengthy on a cold day, it felt like it flew by and we could have seen even more!. But seriously, I could not recommend theFräulein Maria’s Bicycle Tour more for a truly authentic Sound of Music Bike Tour experience. The company is run by a local Austrian named Rupert who we were able to meet at the end of the tour and he really exudes passion for all things Sound of Music!  They open back up in the Spring (tours are April to October) and I highly encourage you to get in touch with the Fräulein Maria’s Bicycle Tour team and book your spot, especially as Salzburg was just rated the top tourist destination for 2020 by The Lonely Planet ( https://www.lonelyplanet.com/best-in-travel/cities ). 

Would you go on the Sound of Music bike tour? 

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Sylvia says

November 22, 2019 at 5:47 pm

Heck yes I would do this in a heart beat. We used to watch this movie all the time when I was a little kid and my mom would sing the songs all the time. We even had the old fashioned cassette tape in the car and would sing on our holiday road trips.

What a walk down memory lane. I want to take my mom on that trip, she would be in heaven. Maybe I will do it for her 60th birthday and surprise her with a trip and a bike ride.

Elizabeth says

November 22, 2019 at 3:31 pm

The Sound of Music is one of my favorite movies of all times. Such a classic.

What a great idea for a bike ride. I have never heard of this but sure would want to do it. Will have to make it over to Salzburg next time I am in Europe. I have heard that it is an adorable little town.

Pamela says

November 22, 2019 at 10:56 am

It was everything you could hope for and more. The tour, the sights, the tour guide, Annabelle did a fantastic job!

She had great insights into the logistics and the making of the movie, from set issues, the weather, the actors, the food, the scene where they all fall in the water. Unbelievable.

Then the highlight is biking through the countryside on the way to the you are 16 going on 17 gazebo while all the songs are being played and everyone is singing along. Just magical. The best bike tour I have ever done and I have done a lot of them.

Even if you are not the biggest Sound of Music buff it was a perfect way to see the city, get some history on the city and its significance. An A++++ experience for anybody.

Amanda says

November 22, 2019 at 10:47 am

Wow, you were able to see so many places in such a short amount of time! I love the movie and I can’t wait to check this out when I am in Europe next Summer.

November 22, 2019 at 5:51 am

This looks like an incredible tour, I will have to add this to my list!

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