Salzburg and Vienna

There was an article in the NY Times the other day about travel to Bratislava Sounds great.
http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/03/04/travel/in-bratislava-slovakia-a-chance-to-enjoy-local-flavors-without-the-crowds-overnighter.html?scp=1&sq=Bratislava&st=cse

I am going to Salzburg and Vienna for the first time in September. I plan to see the horse show while I am there. Here's a link to see if they will be performing when you are there: http://www.srs.at/en/ I'm thinking about Bratslavia also because they have one of the top bookstores:
http://flavorwire.com/254434/the-20-most-beautiful-bookstores-in-the-world#3 Please tell us/me about your experiences when you return.

Hello Ana,
We just returned yesterday from Salzburg & Vienna (my first trip to both). I highly recommend the Bob's Sound of Music tour mentioned in Rick's book. We thought it would be cheesy, but fun. But it was really interesting. And it was just great getting out into the countryside, away from the touristy spots. The scenery in the small villages with a small bit of snow falling was beautiful! Just seven people in a small van roaming and talking about what we were interested in (S.O.M. or not). My husband said it was the best 40 Euros we ever spent in Europe! Vienna was great too. Hubby had meetings, so I ventured to Hofburg Apts, Schonbrunn Palace...I'd do just one (and I preferred Hofburg in town with the silverware/porcelain museum and SiSi museum included). We also ventured to the House of Music one evening (b/c open late) and loved it! Gave a great background of Vienna's music history & composers. We also enjoyed the English tour of the Opera house. Alas, we did not make it to an opera with his work schedule. Have fun!

I second the Sound of Music tour suggestion! It does seem a bit cheesy, but I had a great time. In the warmer months they do a side stop for an optional toboggan ride, as well as a stop in Mondsee, which is beautiful. Have a great trip!

I hate to put a damper on enthusiasm (actually I don't), but before you think about a SOM tour, find the SOM DVD, the one with commentary by Robert Wise, producer and director. Listen to the commentary, and you'll never take the tour. Not unless you just get off on riding around with a bunch of Americans, seeing sights that have little or nothing to do with the movie and singing, "Do, a deer". Most of the scenes - inside the Von Trapp house, inside the Abbey, the cemetery scene, inside the Gazebo - were filmed in sound stages in Hollywood. The lakeside patio was a temporary set, long gone, on the lake near the Leopoldskron, and the "Von Trapp" home behind it was somewhere else in Salzburg, not on any lake. But don't take my advice. Listen to what Robert Wise says.

Although it has been years, when I took the SOM tour, the tour guide made it very clear that much of what was in the movie was fake ... in fact, on many occasions they made fun of the movie and all the errors in it. I still remember seeing this field that they said was used for the opening shot where Maria is singing "The Hills are Alive" and then hears the bells and runs back to the convent. They noted how she must have had exceptionally good hearing and incredible speed because the field was something like 10 kilometers from the convent. I remember they explained how the cemetery where they hid was modeled after a particular location but the movie was a set. They also pointed out that two completely different locations were used for the outside scenes of the house. There were lots of little "errors" from the film that they pointed out. But I must say, I still found the tour to be great fun. Sometimes fun beats out authentic.

I just love this site. Love all the feedback. Does any one know how long the tour lasts? We will be in Salzburg from 11:00 to 20:10. Can the places like the convent, the abby, the gazebo, etc, can all be seen on your own?

It's funny; normally I HATE tours like the SOM one, and before my 1st trip to Salzburg, perhaps being a somewhat typical "jaded" New Yorker (live in mid-town Manhattan here), swore I would NOT go on the SOM Tour. So, naturally, what's the 1st thing my friends dragged me to on our 1st day in Salzburg?? The SOM Tour, of course! And you know what....I ended up enjoying it. Yes, the other people on the tour bus singing was korny beyond words.....but the trip gave a somewhat comprehensive tour in and around Salzburg, pointed out local settings used in the movie, and, best of all, took us out into the lakes district. I've since been back to the lakes district on subsequent trips, but on that particular one, we were pretty limited for time in Salzburg, so it gave us a little bit of of a view of this stunning area. Is the SOM Tour absolutely necessary?? Definitely not. BUT, if you are someone who happens to love the movie (I'm not sure I ever recall actually seeing the entire thing start to finish), and/or want some sort of orientation, or a quick glance of the beautiful lakes area; especially if you are, say, pressed for time; than sure, go for it. I bet there are many others who ended up enjoying it, like me, in spite of themselves!

oh...and some tips for Vienna. In my opinion, the not-to-be-missed sights include the Hofburg, St. Stephan's Cathedral, Schonbrun Palace (a little outside of the city itself, but super-easy to get to; there's a great self-guided audio tour and the grounds/gardens are beautiful to stroll), the Opera house, the Rathaus (parliament bldg), The Upper Belvedere and Lower Belvedere Museums and the Kunsthistorisches (Fine Arts Museum); this last one is almost overwhelming; there is SO much to see in it, so it warrants as much time as you can spare. And, as touristy as it is, The Lippizenner Stallions show is enjoyable/fun, too. I would not necessarily skip other tourist sites to see it, but IF you have the time.....! And for an indulgence, if you have the time, treat yourself to a piece of delicious Sacher Torte at the place where it was 1st created, the legendary Sacher Hotel (prohibitively expensive for lodging...for most of us anyway!), but I thought that an over-priced piece of cake with some great people-watching in such a grand setting was a worthy splurge.

My wife and I were in Salzburg and Vienna last summer and had a wondrous time. In the former, our favorites were the fortress, the Augustiner brewery and, yes, the SOM tour. It last four hours, I believe, and, really, they use the movie largely as an excuse to get you out of the central district and into the stunning surrounding countryside, such as Mondsee. Our tour guide was smart, funny and charming. In Vienna, the museums are a must, the State Opera and the Schonnbrun. I was not particularly taken with the cathedral; there are any number of more interesting ones across Europe.