Austria's Musical Legacy: The Sound Of Music's Filming Locations

The Sound of Music is a 1965 American musical drama film starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. It is based on the 1949 memoir The Story of the Trapp Family Singers by Maria von Trapp and is set in Salzburg, Austria. The film adaptation was a blockbuster worldwide, but it ran for only three days in Salzburg movie theatres, with locals showing disdain for a film that wasn't authentic. However, the city of Salzburg became famous worldwide, and more than 300,000 fans come to Austria every year to walk in the footsteps of the legendary von Trapp family.

The film was based on the real story of Maria von Trapp, who lived in Salzburg

The 1965 film The Sound of Music is based on the true story of Maria von Trapp, who lived in Salzburg with the real-life von Trapp family. The film adaptation, directed by Robert Wise, brought the story of the von Trapps to a global audience. The idyllic city of Salzburg was chosen as the location for the film as early as 1963, and shooting began in the spring of 1964. The city's stunning scenery and its association with the von Trapp family made it the perfect backdrop for the movie.

Maria von Trapp, born Maria Augusta Kutschera, was the matriarch of the von Trapp family. She was born in 1905 and orphaned as a young child. Raised by an abusive relative, she grew up as an atheist. However, a chance encounter with a priest in college inspired a religious awakening, and she entered the Benedictine Abbey of Nonnberg in Salzburg as a novice. Two years spent struggling with the rules and discipline of the convent helped cut down her "twisted character and [her] overgrown self-will", as she later recalled in her autobiography.

Maria was then sent to the home of Baron Georg von Trapp as a tutor for his sick daughter in 1926. It was love at first sight, and she soon developed a caring and loving relationship with all the children. Georg von Trapp was a widower and a retired naval commander, having served with valour in the Austrian navy during World War I. He and his first wife, Agathe, had seven children together: Rupert, Agathe, Maria, Werner, Hedwig, Johanna, and Martina. Agathe died of scarlet fever in 1922, and Georg sold his property and bought an estate in Salzburg.

Maria and Georg married in 1927 and had three children together: Rosmarie, Eleonore, and Johannes. The family was musically inclined, and Maria enjoyed singing with the children. They founded a family choir in the 1930s, which became internationally successful after their emigration to the United States in 1939. The family's musical talent and their escape from Nazi-occupied Austria form the basis of the film's narrative.

While the film takes some liberties with the timeline of events and alters certain details, such as the number and names of the children, it captures the spirit of the von Trapp family's story. The movie features iconic locations in Salzburg, such as the Mirabell Gardens, the Felsenreitschule, and Schloss Leopoldskron, solidifying the city's association with the Sound of Music.

The movie was filmed on location in Salzburg, Austria

The movie adaptation of the stage musical, 'The Sound of Music', was filmed on location in Salzburg, Austria, in 1964. The film is based on the 1949 memoir, 'The Story of the Trapp Family Singers', by Maria von Trapp, and is set in Salzburg. The idyllic city of Salzburg was chosen as the location for the film as early as 1963.

Salzburg is located a few miles east of the German border. The city welcomes fans of the von Trapp family, and most of the filming locations are accessible to the general public. The movie was shot at various locations in and around Salzburg, including:

• Leopoldskron Palace: The lake terrace scenes at the von Trapp family home were filmed at the baroque Leopoldskron Palace, which dates back to 1736. It is here that the children fell into the adjacent lake.
• Frohnburg Palace: The Baroque palace's facade, courtyard, and front gate were used for the Trapp Villa in the film.
• Mirabell Palace & Gardens: The ending of the song 'Do Re Mi' was filmed at the Mirabell Palace Gardens in Salzburg's old town. In the film, Maria and the von Trapp children dance around the Pegasus Fountain in front of the palace.
• Residenzplatz Square and Fountain: Residenzplatz Square in Salzburg's old town is featured in the movie several times. During 'I Have Confidence in Me', Maria splashes in the Baroque horse fountain.
• Summer Riding School (Felsenreitschule): Built into the Mönchsberg nearly 400 years ago, the Riding School has been used as a concert venue since 1926. In 'The Sound of Music', the von Trapps perform at the Folk Festival, singing 'Edelweiss' and 'So Long, Farewell'.
• Horse Pond (Pferdeschwemme): Just around the corner from the Riding School, on Herbert von Karajan Square, is the Horse Pond, where Maria and the children dance during 'My Favorite Things'.
• St. Peter's Cemetery and Catacombs: St. Peter's is one of the oldest and most beautiful cemeteries in the world, dating back to 700 AD. In the movie, the von Trapp family hides behind the tombs from the Nazis. While the scenes were not actually shot in Salzburg, they were carefully reconstructed on a Hollywood set.
• Marionette Theater: The scene for the famous 'Lonely Goatherd' song was inspired by the Salzburg Puppet Theater.
• The Sound of Music Pavilion: The romantic gazebo, where Liesl sings '16 Going on 17' and Captain and Maria fall in love while singing 'Something Good', can be found near the Eastern entrance to the Hellbrunn Palace.
• Nonnberg Abbey Convent: The convent, which dates back to 714 AD, became known as the home of novice nun Maria. Four scenes of the musical were shot in the building overlooking Salzburg.
• St. Michael Basilica, Mondsee: The wedding scene in the movie was filmed in the late Gothic Collegiate Church of St. Michael in Mondsee, a picturesque lakeside town less than 20 minutes' drive from Salzburg.
• Picnic Meadow, Werfen: Another filming location outside of Salzburg is Werfen, about a 40-minute drive or a 45-minute train ride south. This location is known for the picnic scene where Maria teaches the children the lyrics to 'Do Re Mi'.

The hills that are alive with the sound of music are the Austrian Alps

The hills that are alive with the sound of music are indeed the Austrian Alps. The movie musical, which was released in 1965, was filmed in and around the Austrian city of Salzburg. The hills featured in the movie are the Mehlweg mountain, where Julie Andrews's character Maria is seen dancing in a meadow, and the Untersberg, which is visible in the background of the scenes where the von Trapp family make their escape.

The movie, starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, is based on the 1949 memoir 'The Story of the Trapp Family Singers' by Maria von Trapp. It is a fictional retelling of her experiences as a governess to seven children and her eventual marriage to their father, Captain Georg von Trapp. The family's story also inspired a stage musical, which opened on Broadway in 1959 and ran for 1,443 performances, winning six Tony Awards.

The film adaptation of "The Sound of Music" was largely shot on location in Salzburg, with some sets built in Hollywood based on real locations in the city. The production took advantage of the city's stunning landscapes and architecture, including the Mirabell Palace and Gardens, Residenzplatz Square and Fountain, and the Summer Riding School (Felsenreitschule). The surrounding areas, such as the village of Werfen and St. Michael's Church in Mondsee, also served as filming locations for iconic scenes in the movie.

Salzburg became famous worldwide due to the movie, and it continues to attract thousands of fans who want to walk in the footsteps of the legendary von Trapp family. The city welcomes visitors interested in exploring the filming locations and offers guided tours to these sites.

The film's ballroom scene was based on the Venetian Salon in Schloss Leopoldskron

The 1965 film adaptation of "The Sound of Music" was shot in Salzburg, Austria, and its surrounding areas. The film is based on the true story of Maria von Trapp, who moves in with the Trapps as the children's governess and marries the widower father. The movie was directed by Robert Wise and starred Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer.

The ballroom scene in the film was based on the Venetian Salon in Schloss Leopoldskron, a palace in Salzburg. The palace was commissioned as a family estate in 1736 by the Prince Archbishop of Salzburg, Leopold Anton Freiherr von Firmian. It was later acquired by Austrian theater impresario Max Reinhardt in 1918, who renovated the property and added several rooms, including the Venetian Salon.

The Venetian Salon, created in the 1920s, was originally used as a music room. The room features handcrafted, gold wall panels and mirrors, which served as inspiration for the set design of the ballroom in the film. The panels depict scenes of Commedia dell'arte, an influential form of travelling and improvisational theatre that originated in Italy in the 16th century.

The Venetian Salon was not the only part of Schloss Leopoldskron used in the film. The lake terrace scenes at the von Trapp's family home were also shot at the palace, as was the scene where Maria falls out of the boat. The palace's terrace, with its views of the lake and mountains, has made it a popular filming location for various productions, including music videos, fashion shows, and television shows.

The film's cemetery scenes were shot in Hollywood, based on St. Peter's Cemetery in Salzburg

The cemetery scenes in The Sound of Music were not actually shot in Salzburg, but on a Hollywood set. However, the scenes were based on St. Peter's Cemetery in Salzburg, one of the oldest cemeteries in the world, dating back to 700 AD. The cemetery is part of St. Peter's Abbey, founded in the 7th century, which is the oldest monastery still in existence in the German-speaking world. St. Peter's Cemetery is the oldest one in Austria still in use. Up until 1454, only priests and monks were buried there. The arcades around the cemetery are family vaults from the 17th century, featuring intricate wrought iron work.

St. Peter's Cemetery was used in The Sound of Music as a hiding place for the von Trapp family, who conceal themselves behind the tombstones from the Nazis. The cemetery and its catacombs are a popular tourist attraction in Salzburg, recognised by many international visitors as a setting from the film.

The city of Salzburg was chosen as a filming location for The Sound of Music as early as 1963, and shooting began in the spring of 1964. The film brought the city international fame, and it continues to attract fans who want to walk in the footsteps of the von Trapp family.

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