Some kids grew up watching Goonies. I sang along with Mary Poppins. Some kids grew up watching Back to the Future. I danced around to the Sound of Music.
Clearly, I was meant to be the world’s next Julie Andrews. Obviously, my vocal cords had a different plan.
We spent our day in Salzburg popping in on the filming locations from the Sound of Music…when in Salzburg, right?! I hope your 1960’s musical’s knowledge is up-to-speed!
Actually, our intention was to visit Salzburg’s medieval fortress, Festung Hohensalzburg, but this is as close as we got…
Unfortunately, we were traveling with our four-legged friend, who was apparently too dirty to be allowed in. I mean, come on, who wouldn’t want this dirt-ridden splendor in their 900 year old landmark?
She was actually 1000x more disgusting than this picture captures.
So, we moved on to better things…re-enacting movie scenes!
Here is the horse pond, which Maria passes on her way to the Von Trapp home.
St. Peter’s Cemetery is where the Von Trapps flee from the Nazis in the film. Here Liv and I are fleeing from the other dogs in the cemetery. For those of you that know Liv, avoiding other dogs is a really important part of our adventures. And yes, there was more than 1 dog in the cemetery.
Nonnberg Abbey is the oldest female convent north of the Alps. The real “Maria” Kutschera actually attended this nunnery. In the movie, the nuns sing “Maria” here, the children ask about Maria at the gate, and the family car is parked here before they flee at the end of the movie.
Residenzplatz is where Maria stops on her way to the Von Trapp residence, whilst singing “I have Confidence”.
Unfortunately, all the fountains in Salzburg are covered during the winter, so this is all we could see of the famous horse, between the slats.
The steps of The Palace of Mirabell, where Maria and the children run up the steps singing “Do-Re-Mi”!
The best Do-Re-Mi I could muster.
Finally, the Frohnburg Castle. This familiar lane is where the Von Trapps live, and Maria arrives singing “I Have Confidence.”
Yes, the Sound of Music is an iconic musical that has captured the hearts of many, throughout numerous decades. However, it is also a small window into a time of war. The real Georg von Trapp was, indeed, in opposition to the Nazi regime, actually declining an invitation to sing at a concert for Adolf Hitler and refusing to renew his recall into the Navy. However, the Von Trapps never actually fled from the Nazis into Switzerland, but in reality immigrated to the United States. The tale of this family is not typical, as Georg had the wealth, connections, and Italian passports to relocate his 10 (not 7!) children across the Atlantic and escape the miseries of WWII.
In October of 1938, the family left Europe for Pennsylvania and eventually made permanent residence in Vermont. They held music camps every summer near their lodge in Vermont and continued to tour as “The Trapp Family Singers”. Ironically, not a single song from the musical score was actually sung by the family. The “Trapp Family Austrian Relief Inc.” was established by Georg and Maria and after every concert, donations of food, money, clothing, and household goods were collected to be sent back to Austrians living in distress in post-war Germany.
Surprisingly, the Sound of Music was not a hit in its home town of Salzburg. Those who knew the town well, realized that “Hollywood” had used creative editing and then-state-of-the-art technical effects to blend different locations and create a Salzburg that didn’t truly exist.
American audiences didn’t mind though, and the musical opened to huge success across the country. Ultimately spurred from a time that changed the world, the Sound of Music continues to captivate audiences across the globe.