Salzburg is renowned for many things: the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, an important stop along the ancient salt trails (hence the name, Salzburg, meaning salt fortress in German), Alpine beauty, and Adolf Hitler's summer destination of choice at Berghof. Today, it is home to a huge student population, the Salzburg Music Festival, and lots of tourism thanks to the setting of The Sound of Music, which is why most Americans know Salzburg best and ultimately add it as a stop on their Eurotrips. Although it is an easy day trip from Munich, I had yet to make it to this stunning city until some special visitors couldn't miss the opportunity to have the hills come "alive with The Sound of Music". What better way to do this than the Original Sound of Music Tour with Panorama Tours? Right? Right? Right...? Before I begin, I must tell you my background with The Sound of Music so you understand the bias of my tour review. According to my mother, I watched it several times as a child with my paternal grandmother, since it is her favorite movie of all-time. It did not stick with me though, so I spent my whole life claiming I had not seen the musical. My sophomore year of college, some friends tried to sit me down on a lazy Thursday night to watch the flick, but twenty minutes in, boredom set in and I set out. Come spring this year, when I knew I'd be heading to Salzburg with some mega fans, I decided to sit down and watch. In the end, I enjoyed it quite a bit. Nevertheless, it's not one of those movies that holds a special place in my heart.



The tour costs €40 and lasts four hours and departs right outside Mirabell Palace. Despite the palace gardens being where "Do-Re-Mi" is sung in the movie and Maria and the children sing and dance about, the tour does not walk you through them, but rather suggests you walk through before or after the tour.

The first stop is at Leopoldskron Palace, which is the Captain's backyard  in the movie and where the children and Maria are seen falling out of the boat. Here, they share a "fun fact" about how the actress who played Gretl, the youngest, couldn't swim. In the movie, this is where the gazebo is but it has been moved. The palace was never used as home of the Von Trapp family, only the backside of the property. Instead, the shots of their home are shots of Schloss Frohnburg (which you only zoom by at a distance on the tour). Schloss Leopoldskron is today home to the Salzburg Global Seminar.

our tour guide, Naomi

The next stop was Hellbrunn Palace, where the gazebo is today. You cannot go inside. It's also a rebuild. Can you hear my enthusiasm? After a little spiel about the gazebo scene, you are shown the path in which Maria skips and sings "I Have Confidence". Then, you feel obligated to skip along it yourself. At this point in the trip, they also begin offering drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, for purchase. We bought some brews.

The music on the bus resounds and the tour guide begins leading you in a The Sound of Music sing-a-long session. You pat yourself on the back for buying a beer, for however much you may love the songs, it is too cheesy to handle.

Editors note: I am not a cheesy human being (sappy, yes - cheesy, no). Therefore, I find it hard to engage in activities such as this with the likes of strangers.

Luckily, this is when the best part of the tour begins. The drive through the Salzburg Lake District is simply stunning. Here, I actually did want to get out, run around, and sing "The Hills are Alive", but you can't because your stuck on a bus. The scenery is truly breathtaking though and you cannot help but feel thrown into a slice of heaven.

Red Bull Headquarters

The final stop of the trip is the town of Mondsee. Mondsee is the site of St. Michael's Church, where Maria and Capitain Von Trapp married. The guide suggests going for Apfelstrudel where the children acting in the movie enjoyed eating it, while also suggesting a couple of good souvenir shops. Please, I beg you, ignore her and go enjoy the lake docks and mountain views. We could have stayed there all day long. The lake was pure glass due to the chilly early spring temperatures and it is just far enough away from the town square to escape The Sound of Music American tourist madness.









After the tour, we took it upon ourselves to explore the pristine Mirabell Gardens. Don't miss the cute dwarf garden!

Pegasus Fountain at Mirabell Gardens

If you are a huge fan of The Sound of Music, at €10/hour, the price is right to enjoy some special spots from the movie in person. If the movie does not hit that special chord for you, I recommend renting a car and exploring the Lake District on your own as it is something super special that most visitors to Salzburg do not see. If you are in a group, renting a car for the day will likely cost less than three of you doing the tour and you will have added flexibility.

Is The Sound of Music Tour something you would include in a Europe trip?