The Original Sound of Music Tour with Panorama Tours, Salzburg

When I was a little girl, I was mad for shows and musicals. Anything with singing and dancing was right up my street, regardless of the story line. It is therefore probably not hard to imagine that one of my all-time favourite films was the Sound of Music, set in the rolling hills of Austria and with sing-along-songs aplenty! So, when my family and I found ourselves in Salzburg last summer with a few hours to spare, it seemed only right to pay a small price, to walk in the footsteps of Maria and enjoy the amazing sights and immerse ourselves in the magic conjured up in my favourite childhood film and hop aboard The Original Sound of Music Tour with Panorama Tours.

Having reserved our tickets for the afternoon tour, we had a busy morning in the city exploring the Festung and the quaint Old Town (which you can read about here). It was not until 1.30pm that our shuttle driver picked us up from the hotel and drove us to Mirabellplatz, the departure point for The Original Sound of Music Tour.

We were quickly allocated seats and before long we were on our way. The first stop was to be Leopoldskron Palace, now a luxury hotel, the location for the lakeside terrace, the boating scene and the Venetian room (the ballroom – replicated in the Hollywood studios) and the original location for the gazebo used in the filming of ‘Sixteen Going on Seventeen’ (now housed in the grounds of Hellbrunn Palace). Access to Leopoldskron being limited, the only view possible was across the lake from König Ludwig Strasse, where it was explained to us that the von Trapp’s Villa was in reality an amalgamation of two different locations; the front and imposing entrance, Schloss Frohnburg and the rear and terrace, Schloss Leopoldskron.

Following a ten-minute pause to admire the view and take photos, it was back on the bus to move on to our second stop, Hellbrunn Palace and the gazebo. The journey lasted about 15 minutes and as we drove out into the countryside along Georg-Nikolaus-von-Nissen Strasse and Berchtesgadner Strasse we were in a good position to see Nonnberg Abbey, with its ornate red onion-dome spire, where the ‘real’ Maria (Kutschera) was a novice and later returned to marry Captain von Trapp. Although used as part of the Salzburg backdrop to the film no filming actually took place in the abbey itself.

Our next stop was Hellbrunn Palace where the bus parked up to allow us to get off and go for the short walk into the grounds to see the gazebo. Before entering the palace grounds, there was a photo opportunity at the end of Hellbrunner Allee, the tree-lined avenue where Maria is seen alighting from the bus prior to arriving at the von Trapp villa. I couldn’t resist the urge to copy Maria and dance down the avenue, although I think Maria was definitely better coordinated than I when it came to her ‘click of the heels’ mid-jump!

After checking out the famous gazebo, the bus now retraced its route back into Salzburg itself, passing beneath Nonnberg Abbey, on its way to the area to the east where we would see a little of the beautiful and dramatic scenery around Lake Fuschl and Lake Wolfgang, the backdrop to several scenes in the film. The weather was almost perfect and the views were stunning.

Our final destination was the village of Mondsee, where we parked up and caught a little train into the centre where we visited Mondsee cathedral or St Michael’s Basilica (used for the wedding scene in the film). The distinctive yellow-front of the cathedral is eye-catching and together with its magnificent Baroque architecture it is a perfect location for any wedding.

We also managed to visit the neighbouring Café-Konditorie Braun, famous for its Apfelstrudel. We couldn’t resist its offerings and happily tucked into a fair-sized portion of Strudel and ice-cream – never mind the calories!

Three-quarters of an hour later we were back on the bus, heading back into Salzburg, via the motorway, ready for the final stop, the Mirabell Gardens. The sound-track to the film provided background music and by the time we arrived back into the city I think almost all of the bus was singing along, albeit quietly.

Once we reached the final stop the tour group were off the bus and headed on into the pretty gardens. The lush and colourful gardens were prominently featured in the song ‘Do-Re-Mi’, with the now-famous steps on which Maria and the children performed the ‘Do-Re-Mi’ sequence, as well as the Pegasus Fountain in front of the palace which they dance around during the song. With one last look at the gardens and the fabulous backdrop of city’s fortress in the distance, it was time to say so-long-farewell. An afternoon well spent!

When does the tour start?

The Original Sound of Music tour departs twice daily – at 09:15 and 14:00

How long does the tour last?

The tour is 4 hours long

How much does the tour cost?

An adult ticket costs €45 and a child ticket (4-12) costs €23

Where can I book tickets?

You can buy tickets online via the Panorama Tours website, at their ticket office on Mirabellplatz, in the Tourist Information office or in many of the city’s hotels. We were advised to buy our tickets in advance as the tours are very popular and fill up quickly, especially during the summer months.

Where does the tour depart from?

The tour buses depart from the Panorama Tours Bus Terminal which can be found at Mirabellplatz on the corner of Hubert-Sattler-Gasse 1. However there are some hotels in the city which can arrange a shuttle bus pick up service – ask your hotel for more information!

I hope you found this post about my experience of the Original Sound of Music Tour helpful and please let me know if you have any questions that have not been answered! Whilst most of the sights mentioned above could be seen independently and not as part of a tour, if you’re looking for an easy and hassle-free way of seeing the sights from the film, this tour is just the thing for you!

Until next time!

Love, Victoria xx