Wife is big Sound of Music fan

Look up Fraulein Maria's Bicycle Tours or Bob's Special Tours which allow you to see most of the Sound of Music sites while bicycling around Vienna at a leisurely pace.

Sorry, I mean Salzburg!

Take a look at these sites
https://www.greatwidetravel.com/sound-of-music-salzburg/
https://www.salzburg.info/en/salzburg/the-sound-of-music/shooting-locations

As Salzburg is the birthplace of Mozart there are a number of related sites, including his home when a child, and his piano. Also, Look for Mozartkugeln, the decadent chocolate, nougat and marzipan candies named after him, delicious and made in Salzburg. Visit the castle, old, big and interesting and great views over the city. Visit Mirabell Palace, where Maria and the children sang about favourite things. The Cathedral is definitely worth a visit and just enjoying the elegant squares in the centre of this lovely city. I’d say wing it but maybe take a tour of the Sound of Music sites as I guess some are outside the city. Look for concerts in churches and concert halls, and try and attend a performance of the Salzburg Marionette Theatre. We saw them do The Magic Flute it was magical! A whole opera performed by puppets to a top notch recording you soon forget you are watching puppets as you get drawn into the story and the glorious music.

I have not taken any, but I see Bob's Tours recommended all the time. They have a variety of local tours and not only via bike. For most efficient use of your time and in order to hear more than you may be able to research/read about, I would take a tour if Sound of Music is of interest. Do read up on your own, too.

We did Panaramic tours. We liked it. I've heard the others are good, too. Check to see if the tour includes Mondsee which is the church where the wedding is filmed. To see that church was my favorite part. Make sure to spend time at Mirabell and go to Hellbrunn. Use the RS guide to walk around the town. Make sure to go to the cemetary.

We took a Sound of Music bus tour many, many years ago. Most of the stops were very short. I think you could see many of them at your own pace on your own very easily. The cemetery and Mirabell gardens are right in the center of town and have no admission fees. (Be sure to stop at the amazing Stiftsbackerei St Peters bakery near the water wheel near the cemetery).

At the time, the bus tour stopped across the lake at the filming location that was the Captain’s home. It was a private residence, so you could only view it from across the lake. We stopped at the palace, but it was not a day when the fountains were running, so not ideal. I think you could easily go to these places on your own. It all really depends if you want to get all these sights “out of the way” all at once with a quick tour.

We did the SOM tour by Bob's Tours a few years ago. It was a small van, necessary because the tours go outside the city for some sites. Highly recommend it.

Aside from that, we got all the info we needed from Ricks guidebook. The fortress is hard to miss and easy to access. Mirabell palace and gardens are lovely, and the entire old town is easily walkable. Of course there are several sites tied to Mozart, one of Salzburg's favored sons. There are several venues for concerts; an enjoyable way to spend an evening.

I did a SOM tour in the late 80's that was really fun. I think it was this one. https://www.panoramatours.com/de/salzburg/tour/original-sound-of-music-tour-tour-1a-27/

I think a SOM is a must for fans! Its fun, yes schmaltzy, but it's great to be on a tour with fellow fans having fun . You also get to see all the sights.

Definitely watch the movie before you guys go!

We were in Salzburg on a RS tour a few years ago, but it was winter and shorter days so we were unable to do the tour. I would've done it again if time permitted.

I’ll be in Salzburg for 5 nights starting this coming Sunday. Keep an eye out for my trip report. My sister and I plan to wing it and I’ll let you know how we did. Also, I’ll be giving my sister the sound of music tour (Carrie's SOM tour) as I do not want to be on a bus full of singing tourists. 😊 this link has some of the sights from the movie listed:

https://www.salzburg.info/PDF/01_Salzburg/som_locations.pdf

To see that church was my favorite part.

That was so cool. We thought it was fun to walk down the aisle like Maria! It was really fun to see this location since it;s away from the city-- but great views of the country side while traveling there.

I’ve done the tour with Panorama in 1970, 1987, and 2011. I liked it each time. Since the first one in 1970, many sights in the altstadt are not on the tour because it is now pretty much a pedestrian zone. So plan on walking that part of Salzburg on your own. Watch the movie again before you go so you will take special note f the places.

A couple more comments. On the way to Mondsee, we stopped in the countryside to take some photos of the mountain and village views. This was the spot used at the beginning of the movie (or so they said).

There was a video that was done of Salzburg with Julie Andrews that was done for a anniversary of the movie. It's wonderful and my library had it. Julie goes back to Salzburg and talks about the making of the movie. For the life of me, I can't find the name of the movie. It was really good, it'd be fun for your wife to see it before you go.

I recommend you do a search on the forum "Salzburg Sound of Music", you will find a lot of information AND somewhere in those posts, I commented with the name of the video. If I find myself with some time, I will look some more.

The Sound of a City: Julie Andrews Returns to Salzburg is what jules is thinking of. When I recently rewatched the movie, the special with Julie Andrews was after the streaming version of the movie on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Sound-Music-Julie-Andrews/dp/B009EELBIS/ref=sr_1_3?crid=B3OAXMQLB9VB&keywords=sound+of+music&qid=1662470463&sprefix=sound+of%2Caps%2C101&sr=8-3

Thank you Carrie. It really is quite good and it contains many sites in Salzburg.

So I was just thinking, if you have the time, perhaps look into the bike tour (the people I know that took it loved it) AND the Panoramic or other that takes you to Mondsee. I don't think for a SOM lover that it'd be too much.

And comments about the cathedral--it is gorgeous and Mozart was baptized there.

We did Bob's SOM tour and loved it - schmaltzy singing and all. Personally, I wouldn't take a Sound of Music tour that didn't go to Mondsee. The town and especially the church where the wedding took place was worth the rest of the tour. Touristy? Absolutely. Enjoyable? You bet it is.

My husband and I did our own walking tour of sights from the Von Trapp Family story. Be sure to see the Nonnberg Abbey which was where Maria from the Sound of Music went to the convent. We saw the gate and inner courtyard and the chapel where Maria and Captain Von Trapp were really married. (The movie used a church in Mondsee.) It was very moving and humbling to see this simple ancient convent, one of the oldest in Europe from the 1400's. We also went to see the catacombs and gravesites at the St. Peter's Church cemetery which were used as the Hollywood model for the Sound of Music where the Von Trapp family hid while escaping in the movie. You can walk over the Mozart Bridge from the Sound of Music. In the Mirabell gardens you can see the Pegasus horse fountain, the Do Re Mi steps, and the Dwarf garden with the dwarf with the eyeglasses from the Sound of Music. We took a bus to Schloss Hellbrunn where the Sound of Music gazebo has been relocated. While at the Hellbrunn Palace you can enjoy the trick fountains and gardens also. When you are in Salzburg go to the Monchsberg lift and up to a great viewpoint by the Modern Museum with a lovely view of all of Salzburg and the fortress. Then you can walk along a footpath above Salzburg to the Hohensalzburg fortress. Walk further to the Nonnberg Abbey. We really enjoyed our time in Salzburg. A highlight was going to a Mozart concert in the Golden Hall in the Fortress. The Mozart Residence museum in Marketplatz was also very worthwhile.

We did Bobs Tours to include Hallstadt and Salzburg ( all day)

note we did this right before covid

We were only one on the tour
and our only complaint was the stop in Hallstadt was for 90 min
Enough to get lunch

Pricey but it covers all

Salzburg is really great beyond Sound of Music (which I only know by name - it never made it into French popular culture), too, so even if you are not a fan yourself, you'll have a blast.

Of course we have seen the Sound of Music but now we will be there!

What do you suggest – watch the SOM – again – before our trip or afterwards

Watch it before ( and after ! )