The Sound of Music in Salzburg

The hills are alive with The Sound of Music in Salzburg, Austria! I have loved that musical ever since I was a little girl, so the opportunity to visit specific locations where filming of the movie took place was amazing!

The Von Trapp family home was actually two houses and a set. The front of the house, which you see as Maria first arrives at the Von Trapp home, when she and Georg return from their honeymoon, and when party guests arrive for Baroness Schraeder's welcoming party, is the Frohnburg Palace.

Frohnburg Palace

Above: The Frohnburg Palace in 2024, Below: Maria arriving at the Von Trapp Family home

The Frohnberg Palace is now the home of the Mozarteum University, which is a music school. The home is located at:

Hellbrunner Allee 53, 5020 Salzburg, Austra.

Keep in mind that it is located on a road that is closed to automobile traffic. We didn't realize this when we visited -- we just drove right to it, hopped out of the car and started taking pictures. We didn't understand why we were getting so many dirty looks from the many pedestrians walking the street -- that is, until we drove out of the street and then saw the signs stating that motor vehicles are not allowed.

Obviously the grounds are not as well-kept as they were at the time of filming, but the home does look very similar to how it appeared in the filming of The Sound of Music in 1964. Tours are not given of this house, although you can rent rooms in it. The inside of the house was not used at all during filming, so seeing the outside was enough for me. You can find out more about the home at this website:

Frohnburg Palace

And if you do decide you want to rent one of its interior rooms, you can do so here:

Mozarteum University

This is the entrance to the Frohnburg Palace grounds

view while standing at the entrance

View of the Frohnburg Palace

From inside looking out

You'll recognize this famous gate in the photo below

Maria in the 1964 film "The Sound of Music" filmed at the Frohnburg Palace

Scenes at the back of the home, including the terrace and lake, were shot at what is now the Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron. I had the wonderful opportunity of staying overnight at this hotel, which was an amazing experience! The grounds behind the palace are very recognizable from the movie!

Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron

Top photo - my grandson and I in 2024 while visiting Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron, Bottom photo - the Von Trapp family on the grounds of the Leopoldskron Palace

Upper photo 2024, Bottom photo 1964

My grandson and I enjoyed a view of the lake next to the gate that is also visible in a shot featuring Georg, Max, and Elsa on the terrace.

When we stayed at the Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron, we didn't sleep in the palace itself. You can book a suite in the palace for an average of 500 euro per night. We opted for staying in the Meierhof building, which is right next to the palace on the grounds of Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron. I slept in the "Sound of Music Room." It is a bit more affordable, at about 250 euro per night. We only stayed there one night, and it was totally worth it! We explored the grounds, and also the palace, except for rooms that were locked or in use. The Venetian Salon was of particular interest to me because it was replicated for the movie to be used in both the ballroom scene, as well as for the puppet show scene.

The Venetian Salon in 2024

My grandson and I exploring the Venetian Room

The chandelier in the Venetian Room

Mansbach White Salon

The Marble Hall, where the breakfast buffet was served, which was included in the price of our room

Marble Hall breakfast buffet

The ceiling of the Marble Hall

Marble Hall

Enjoying breakfast at the buffet in the Marble Hall

The balcony off of the Marble Hall offers a beautiful view of the lake and surrounding mountains

View from the balcony

My daughter in law took this photo of me and my grandson from the balcony

View of the back of the Leopoldskron Palace

Steps into the back of the palace

The grounds behind the palace

This swing is in a large tree next to the palace

Swinging May Cause Happiness, Use at Own Risk

The beautiful gardens behind the palace

This used to be the terrace, where Georg, Elsa, and Max enjoyed lemonade in The Sound of Music

The Meierhof Building where the smaller guest rooms are, right next to the palace

The Chapel inside the palace

This baby grand piano is located just inside the back doors of the palace

Staircase inside the palace

On the top floor of the Meierhof building - the Sound of Music room where we stayed was at the very far end of this hall, as far away from the elevator as it could get!

This Sound of Music display is on the wall in the Sound of Music room

These Sound of Music histories are on the wall in the hallway of the Meierhof Building on the top floor

My grandson with a fun photo of the Sound of Music filming that is on the wall in the Meierhof building

My one disappointment with the Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron is that there are not places to eat nearby. I was very hungry and wanted to grab a quick dinner, but there wasn't anywhere to go. On the first floor of the Meierhof building is a small cafe, where we ordered a couple of pieces of cake and some sandwiches. It was a bit expensive, but it was something.

If you are going to visit Salzburg, and you love the Sound of Music, it is definitely worth staying the night here! To learn more about Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron, visit their official website here:

Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron

Hellbrunn Palace

The next thing you probably think of when remembering the Sound of Music, is the gazebo -- that famous gazebo where Rolf and Liesl danced, and then kissed for the first time. And where Georg and Maria finally confessed their love for each other and became engaged to be married. The gazebo was originally on the grounds of the Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron, but after filming it was given to the city of Salzburg and now resides at the Hellbrunn Palace Park. It was a must-see on our trip to visit all of the Sound of Music sites.

2024 above (my son and daughter-in-law), and 1964 below, Liesl & Rolf

We parked a little ways from the entrance to Hellbrunn Palace and walked, because we didn't want to pay for parking. The yellow walls surrounding the park and nearby area reminded me of the yellow walls that Maria skipped past on her way to the Von Trapp family, and are similar to the ones that we saw at the actual filming location.

The entrance to the Hellbrunn Palace Park looks like this:

We entered the park and were free to walk around, although you can purchase tickets to see the trick fountains and visit the palace and museum. We only wanted to see the gazebo on this trip!

The Hellbrunn Palace

The grounds were immaculate and there was so much to see!

We consulted a map of the extensive park and found directions to where the gazebo was located.

Enter this gate and you will see the gazebo immediately on your right

The famous Sound of Music gazebo

The gazebo was locked so we couldn't go inside

A plaque commemorating Liesl and The Sound of Music sits alongside the gazebo

Only the outside of the gazebo was used in filming Rolf & Liesl's "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" dance -- a set was built for the interior of the gazebo so that they would have more space to dance.

There is so much more to see at Hellbrunn than just the gazebo. As far as I know, no filming of the Sound of Music actually took place at Hellbrunn, but there are trick fountain shows, art, pools, extensive grounds, a museum, and a palace to explore. You can find out more about Hellbrunn at its official website here:

Hellbrunn Palace Park

Mirabell Gardens

One of my favorite scenes from the movie is when Maria & the children are exploring Salzburg while singing "Do Re Mi." One of the places they filmed this scene was the Mirabell Gardens.

2024 and 1964

The fountain that the children danced around

The grounds and beautifully manicured flower beds

The fountain in the background, with the Hohensalzburg Fortress on the top of the mountain in the background. Beautiful spiraling flower beds

The Pegasus fountain, another location where the Von Trapp children danced

The steps where the Von Trapp family stood while singing Do Re Mi

This plaque is at the top of the stairs

The statues that guard the entrance to Mirabell Gardens represent purity of spirit.

You can learn more about Mirabell Palace and Gardens at this website:

Concerts at Mirabell Palace

Felsenreitschule Concert Hall

Of course we couldn't miss the concert hall where all of the excitement happened during the Sound of Music! In real life, the Trapp Family Singers performed in the Salzburg Festival in 1936. In the Sound of Music production, the year was 1938 that the Trapp Family Singers performed and won first place in the festival.

We toured the concert hall, which includes the large concert hall, or Grosses Festspielhaus, as well as the Felsenreitschule stage where the movie was actually filmed. The alcoves which are seen in the movie can each be filled in by giant "styrofoam" filler-blocks. I doubt they are really made of styrofoam, but they are also definitely not made of rock.

Paintings in the entry of the Concert Hall, which was formerly a riding school

Hall Grosses Festpielhaus

lobby of the concert hall

Haus Fur Mozart

They were doing construction on the concert hall

The Von Trapps performing in this same concert hall

Pferdeschwemme (Horse Well)

In The Sound of Music, Liesl and Rolf run into each other and speak briefly while Maria and the children are exploring the town of Salzburg. It is situated at the base of the Monchsberg cliff walls. It is located on Herbert von Karajan-Platz, near the festival halls.

2024 my son, grandson, and I walked past the horse pond where filming took place.

Maria and the Von Trapp children at the horse pond

The Pferdeschwemme was built in 1693 and was designed by Fischer von Erlach

Liesl and Rolf chatting at the Pferdeschwemme

Mozartsteg (Mozart's Bridge)

The bridge that Maria and the children cross as they explore Salzburg, is Mozart's Bridge. It was built in 1903 and used to be a toll bridge. It runs across the Salzach River.

2024, Mozart's Bridge from the other side.

crossing the bridge

view from the bridge over the Salzach River

Freidhof St. Peter - St. Peter's Cemetery in Salzburg

This cemetery has cliff-side catacombs dating back to the year 215. The Sound of Music wasn't actually filmed in the cemetery, but the cemetery was used as inspiration to build the cemetery for filming. The von Trapp family hid from the Nazis in the cemetery. Many famous people are buried in this cemetery, including Michael Haydn (Joseph Haydn's little brother), and Nannerl Mozart (the older sister of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart).

The Monschberg Cliffs surrounding the cemetery

Nonnberg Abbey

The Sound of Music wasn't actually filmed at Nonnberg Abbey, but the abbey was used as inspiration for building the set.

Maria left the abbey to head to the von Trapp home

The children came to visit Maria at the abbey gates

Inside the abbey gates

Inside the abbey

The abbey doors

View from the abbey

The children walked down this street during filming

view from the abbey

The children walking towards the abbey during filming, and 2024 at the abbey

Residenzplatz Fountain

The fountain built in 1656 is as beautiful now as it was when Maria walked past it while singing "I Have Confidence." The fountain is located in Salzburg's old town.

2024

Villa Trapp

This home wasn't in the filming of the Sound of Music, but it is the actual home that the real Von Trapp family lived in. We didn't go inside, but we did view as much as we could have of it from over the fence. It used to be a hotel, but right now it is listed as permanent closed. It is located at TraunstraBe 34, 5026 in Salzburg.

Non-Sound of Music Sites

Some non-Sound of Music sites to take in include the Makartsteg Bridge, which is the Love Locks Bridge, because of the many locks that people have put on it. The bridge goes over the Salzbach River, connecting the old town to the new town. I didn't put a lock on it, but I wish I'd had one with me. The Mozart Bridge is visible from the Makartsteg Bridge.

Another must-see attraction in Salzburg is Sphaera, a giant golden sculpture by Stephan Balkenhol. It was built in 2007. It is located in Kapitelplatz Square.

When focusing on the Sound of Music, some people may forget that Salzburg was also Mozart's home. In fact, you can visit a statue dedicated to him, as well as one of the homes that he lived in, and the home that he was born in.

In the center of Mozartplatz is the Mozart statue

This is Mozart's Residence, where his family lived from 1773 to 1787. It's located on Makartplatz.

For more information, click this link: Mozart Residence

The Mozarteum is just down the street from the Mozart Residence. It is near Mirabell Gardens.

Most of the sites are pretty close together, even within walking distance. Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron and Villa Trapp are farther than walking distance, and Schloss Frohnburg and Schloss Hellbrunn are even farther away.