Sound of Music Tour – Salzburg – European River Cruise

Our first stop in this tour was the Mirabell Gardens, one of the film locations for the “Sound of Music“.  If you were a Sound of Music buff, like some of our American companions, you’ll quickly recognize the steps where the childrern started their Do-Re-Mi song and then went on to dance around the fountain.   The gardens were beautiful, except that some moron had gone and destroyed a major part of the flower beds.

At quite a crazy pace, we were whisked through the gardens, and the guide pointed other spots and statues that featured in the film.  You had the choice of keeping up with the guide and commentary, or slowing down a little to take some snaps.  We then crossed over the road and into the old town and at the Residenz Square, we were reminded of another scene from the movie.  We then went on to visit the Cathedral and followed by a tour around the town.

St. Peter’s Cemetery is one of the stops on the tour.  It is one of the oldest and most charming cemeteries in the world and is the resting place of many of the city’s dignitaries, artists, scholars and merchants.  It’s little wonder that the cemetery was chosen as one of the locations for the filming of the Sound of Music.  This was the chapel (picture on the right) where Maria and the children hid before their escape.  One of the special attractions of St. Peter’s cemetery are the ‘catacombs’ hewn out of the Mönchsberg rock.

Our final Sound of Music stop was out of Salzburg at Mondsee Cathedral.  The wedding between Maria and Baron von Trapp was filmed in here. Mondsee is a small touristy town dominated by its cathedral. 

Well this was quite a tour which left our Sound of Music fans quite satisfied and raring to see the movie another fifty times!

Helen