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Where Was Sound Of Music Filmed? Best Things to Know 2023

Where Was Sound Of Music Filmed? Best Things to Know 2023
  • Max Kuehn

Fidlar will help you find out where was Sound of Music filmed, including the original locations and film locations.

The Sound of Music is a timeless classic. It’s been 50 years since this film was released, and it still captures people’s imaginations around the world. Have you ever wondered where The Sound of Music was filmed?

Well, wonder no more! You’re about to find out some interesting facts and see photos from the filming location so that you can plan your trip there in 2023!

The Sound of Music has been very popular with viewers for over 50 years now!  With its 50th anniversary coming up next year, it seems like everyone wants to know where The Sound Of Music was filmed!

To kick off our blog post, we are going to share some fun facts about where you can find filming locations from this classic movie.

What Is The Sound of Music?

This film is a timeless masterpiece. This film was released 50 years ago and still captures people’s imaginations around the globe. Ever wonder where The Sound of Music was shot?

You need not wonder anymore! Here are some photos and interesting facts about the filming location so that you can plan your trip in 2023!

This film, starring Julie Andrews & Christopher Plummer, is a musical movie. Filmed in Salzburg (Austria), the Tyrolean Alps, Bavaria, Germany, Italy’s Piedmont, and Shepperton Studios, Surrey, England.

You also shot it in Bavaria, Germany, Salzburg, Austria, and Bavaria, Germany. Over 50 years, The film has been a popular show with viewers. It will be celebrating its 50th anniversary next year.

Many people want to know where The Sound of Music was shot. We are excited to share some fun facts with you about the filming locations of this classic movie.

Where Was The Sound of Music Filmed In Austria?

Take in the stunning locations of the Sound of Music, and then sing along the streets of Salzburg.

Nonnberg Abbey

Nonnberg Abbey

Nonnberg Abbey, German: Stift Nonnberg was founded in 714 A.D. It is the oldest female convent North of the Alps. This is also where Maria, the real-life Maria, became a novice nun before marrying Georg von Trapp.

Nonnberg Abbey was the location of four scenes in the movie: Maria’s exit from the abbey, where the nuns sing “Maria” outside, and the scenes with Maria and her children visiting the monastery.

The interior of the Abbey will be different from the movie. Filming inside the convent was prohibited, so interior scenes were shot at a Hollywood studio. The Salzburg location is notable for the unique experience of hearing the nun’s Gregorian chants in the Gothic abbey.

Mirabell Palace and Gardens, Salzburg

Mirabell Palace and Gardens, Salzburg

The baroque-style garden was created in 1606 by Archbishop Wolf Dietrich to be used as a garden for his mistress.

It is filled with beautiful flowers, marble statues, fountains, and plenty of opportunities to recreate scenes from the movies. Partly shot here was the iconic song “Do Re, Mi.”

“Do Re Mi” is a popular song from “The Sound of Music,” and its ending was shot at Mirabell Palace Gardens, Salzburg’s old city. It was built in 1606 by Wolf Dietrich, the prince archbishop of Wolf. Today it is a popular wedding scene.

Maria Von Trapp kids dance around the Pegasus Fountain in front of the palace. The steps leading to the rose garden north of the Fountain, as well as the Greek fencing statutes at its entrance, will be familiar.

You can enjoy stunning views of Hohensalzburg Fortress. Entry is free.

Residenzplatz Square and Fountain, Salzburg

Residenzplatz Square and Fountain, Salzburg

Residenzplatz Square is one of five squares that Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau built in Salzburg’s Old Town in the 16 century. It’s featured prominently in the movie several times.

Maria splashes in the Baroque Horse Fountain during “I Have Confidence in Me”. Later, Nazi soldiers march through the square after Germany annexes Austria. A giant swastika flag was raised over the entrance of Old Residence Palace.

St. Peter’s Cemetery & Catacombs

St. Peter’s Cemetery & Catacombs

St. Peter’s Cemetery, German: Petersfriedhof, was inspired to rebuild the cemetery on the set for the wedding scene in the film where the Von Trapps hide behind tombs from the Nazis.

This is the final resting place for Mozart’s sister Nannerl. It also serves as the last resting place for Max Detweiler (or “Uncle Max”) from the movie.

This is Salzburg’s oldest Christian cemetery. It is also one of the most beautiful and oldest cemeteries. The stunning views from the catacombs carved out of Monchsberg rocks are a highlight of this beautiful cemetery.

It should be seen during your Sound of Music tour to the Salzburg region.

Horse Pond

Horse Pond

The Horse Pond was built in the 17th-century to wash horses for the prince-archbishop. The movie briefly used to provide a backdrop to Maria singing “My Favorite Things” and children dancing in curtains under their costumes.

The Horse Pond is worth a visit, even if it’s not featured in the musical. The Horse Pond is located below Monchsberg’s cliffside. The bright fresco behind it makes for a stunning picture to add to your Sound of Music album.

Rock Riding School

Rock Riding School

The Monchsberg’s Rock Riding School (German Felsenreitschule) was originally built as a cathedral. However, it was later repurposed to become a riding school, where tournaments were held.

It is Salzburg’s most famous concert venue. In 1936, the Von Trapp family won it. The film locations are easily recognized by the scene in which the Captain sings “Edelweiss”, and his family joins him to sing “So Long, Farewell”.

St. Peter’s District

St. Peter's District

The oldest part of Salzburg is St. Peter’s District. Here settled the first monks, led by Saint Rupert. Slowly, the rest of the city began to expand around the monastery. The oldest Austrian cemetery, St. Peter’s, is still in use.

Priests and monks used this cemetery only until 1454. Family vaults dating back to the 17th century are located around the cemetery. They include wrought ironwork and other examples.

St. Peter’s Cemetery was a source of inspiration for movie-makers. It was rebuilt in Hollywood Studios for the Nazis were looking for the von Trapps family, and they were hiding behind the tombstones. The opening scene also features St. Peter’s Church.

Leopoldskron Palace

Leopoldskron Palace

All the lake terrace scenes at von Trapp’s family residence were shot at the Leopoldskron Palace, dating back to 1736. Here Captain listens to his children sing and where they drink pink Lemonade.

Maria also falls off the boat. For interior scenes, the Hollywood studios reconstructed the palace’s foyer and golden ballroom.

Leopoldskron can be reached within a short walk or by bus from the city center. The palace is now a boutique hotel. However, you can still view it from the west side.

Frohnburg Palace

Frohnburg Palace

Frohnburg Palace was one of the important filming music locations, as it was used to film the Von Trapp Villa. The palace was once a private residence. It is now a Mozarteum Music Academy.

Maria first saw the Von Trapp family home through the large iron gate and facade. The movie also included scenes in which Captain tears the Nazi flag from the top of the doorway, and the family attempts to flee from the Nazis by silently pushing their car out the gate.

Hellbrunn Palace

Hellbrunn Palace

Hellbrunn Palace is located just south of the city and was built by Markus Sittikus von Hohenems between 1613-1619. The Archbishop spent a large part of his life in Italy, and he wanted to recreate the Italian atmosphere in this castle’s gardens.

Hellbrunn Palace, unlike many other palaces, has not been styled differently. This allows the visitor to enjoy the beautiful southern scenery of this renaissance garden even today. To entertain Archbishop Markus Sittikus’ noble guests, Hellbrunn has numerous artificial water games.

These include trick fountains, grottoes, and a mechanical toy theatre. Donato Mascagni from Florence created the impressive frescoes found in the palace halls.

Music Gazebo

Gazebo at Hellbrunn

The famous gazebo was originally located on the palace’s grounds when it was a private residence. However, it was relocated to a more accessible spot.

Nowadays, you can find the famous gazebo in the gardens at Hellbrunn Castle. It was used by Georg and Maria for their romantic love scene as well as the duet “Sixteen Going On Seventeen”. The glass music gazebo is one of the most prominent locations in the film version.

It serves as the backdrop for many love scenes like “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” and “Something Good.” It was rebuilt in Hellbrunn Palace after a significant renovation.

It is now located in a more accessible location than the original, which was the garden at Leopoldskron Palace.

Schloss Leopoldskron

Schloss Leopoldskron

The most stunning ornate building is the Palace at Leopoldskron in Salzburg. Archbishop Leopold Count Firmian built it in 1736 as a home for his family. The Firmian family sold the building in 1837.

Leopoldskron, which was initially a gallery, became the property of a landlord. The list even includes the King of Bavaria.

It was in poor condition when Max Reinhardt, the famous writer and founder of the Salzburg Music Festival, purchased it in 1918. Reinhardt restored it to its original beauty and used the garden for theatre performances.

The “Salzburg Seminar in American Studies” has owned the building since 1958. This institution focuses on studying the economy.

Schloss Leopoldskron was one of the key music locations for the film. The rearview was used to show the Trapp Family Home. The baroness served lemonade to the family while they sipped on lemonade.

Maria and Baron danced together on the balcony, while the children fell into the nearby lake. The Venetian room in the castle was copied, and used for interior scenes which were shot in the studios.

Marionette Theater

Marionette Theater

Do you remember the song “Lonely Goatherd?” This scene was inspired in part by the Salzburg Puppet Theater. Although the local troupe was invited to participate in the film, they had other commitments at the time.

American puppeteer Bill Baird (and his wife Cora Eisenberg) stepped in. They do not offer public music tour but have evening and afternoon shows almost every day. A full-length puppet version of “The Sound of Music”, is also performed several times per year.

Villa Trapp

Villa Trapp

Although it is not a filming site, the Von Trapp Villa was where the legendary Von Trapp family lived for fifteen years. The family managed to board a train nearby to escape the Nazis just one day before the Austrian border was closed.

The Von Trapp Villa is now a hotel, an educational Sound of Music museum, and a boutique hotel. It also contains behind-the-scenes information about filming the movie.

A visit to the Von Trapp Villa, located near Leopoldskron Palace, would provide fans with a unique insight into the life of the legendary Von Trapp family we love.

You can book a Villa stay or take a guided music tour, which lasts approximately 45 minutes and takes place every day.

St. Michael Basilica, Mondsee

Mondsee, a picturesque lakeside terrace village, is located less than 20 minutes away from Salzburg. The late Gothic Collegiate Church St. Michael is located in the city center, where Maria and Georg von Trapp were married.

Fans must see the bright yellow cathedral, with its striking pink interior, which is a must-see. The film’s first wedding scene was shot in April 1964.

It is also one of the most famous scenes of the entire movie. The Sound of Music attracts over 250,000 people annually. Entry is free.

Picnic Meadow, Werfen

Mount Untersberg

Werfen is one of the filming locations that can be used for filming outside of Salzburg locations. It’s about 40 minutes away by car or 45 minutes by train south. A “Sound of Music Trail” has been running from the village to the Gschwandtanger Meadow for about 30 minutes since 2015.

Salzburg was a dream come true for the child actors. This location is most famous for its picnic scene, where Maria taught the children the lyrics to “Do Re Mi” by singing it. You can bring snacks and sit on the grass like the von Trapps while taking in the stunning views of the Hohenwerfen Castle.

Rossfeld Mountain

Rossfeld Mountain

Just across the German border is the Rossfeld Panoramic Road. This road was used to show the Von Trapp family’s safe escape across the Untersberg Mountain.

It is difficult to reach the Rossfeld Panoramic Road, a private road, without a car. It is recommended that you visit the Untersberg Mountain if you don’t own a car to enjoy equally stunning views but with easier access.

Lake District

FAQs

Where is the hill from The Sound of Music?

The Sound of Music’s opening scene is one of the most well-known scenes in film history. Julie Andrews sings “The Hills are Alive” in the famous film locations near the Austrian border.

FAQs

Is Sound of Music a true story?

The Sound of Music is based on a true story. The movie was made after Maria von Trapp, the real von Trapp family, wrote The Story of the Trapp Family Singers in 1949. Georg von Trapp was their patriarch and married Maria.

Where is the wedding church from Sound of Music?

The movie’s wedding scene was shot at Mondsee’s basilica. Georg and Maria von Trapps were married in Nonnberg Abbey, where Maria was a novice a few years before.

Conclusion

After reading this article, you should understand the Original Sound Of Music and the sound of a music film. We hope that you found the information we provided to be helpful and informative.

If there are still any questions or concerns that need to be addressed, please contact us for more information on how we can help your business grow with our services!

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