The sound of Salzburg

The streets are alive with the sound of Salzburg, to paraphrase that movie from 1965. This cozy city in Austria feels alive and buzzing despite often being reduced to a tourist frame, compared to big brother Vienna.

Terrace on Monchsberg Cliffs, one of several movie locations.

Salzburg has been a popular music destination for centuries. The most famous citizen of them all, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, was born here in 1756. The house on Getreidegasse 9 is now a popular museum, rivaled only by Mozart’s next living area on Makartplatz where he moved in during 1773.

Even though Mozart infamously died in Vienna while composing Requiem, some of his family is buried in Salzburg at St Sebastian’s Cemetery.

The grave of Mozart’s wife and father at Friedhof St. Sebastian.

The city of Salzburg itself is known for the movie adaptation of the popular musical Sound of Music. It is based on the true story of Maria von Trapp, even though I suspect she didn’t go singing alone in the mountain ranges.

But nevertheless it’s fun to visit sites such as Nonnberg Abbey (where the real Maria vas a novice, and heavily featured in the movie), the terrace on Monchsberg Cliffs, the horse fountain on Residenzplatz and much more.

Mirabell Gardens. This stair was used in the Do-Re-Mi scene.

Nonnberg Abbey.

The entrance to Nonnberg Abbey, used in several movie scenes.

This year the city of Salzburg celebrates the 50th anniversary of the film with a lot of activities, and today there was actually a big gala event at Felsenreitschule, the amphi theater where the Trapp family performed (both in the movie and real life).

Four of the real movie children (now 50 years older) appeared when whistled.

Some of the real Von Trapp children flew in from Vermont for the occasion.

When your feet hurt from all this wandering among famous locations, sit down for a Salzburger Nockerl. It’s good for you.