Salzburg & Munich in 3 nights

we were there last year, with about the same amount of time. we used one day in salzburg; went on the S.O.M. tour. I am NOT a big SOM person, but my wife IS, and I have to admit it was really very good.

Munich is really cool. Do Mikes Fat Tire Bike Tour right away, and you'll know what to do next. Wish we had stayed longer, and looking forward to going back. Bavaria rocks!

and you will love all the history stuff in both places, but there is more, i think, in munich.

I'm not sure if the gazebo used for distance shots in SOM is the one shown on the tour, but the close-up shots of the gazebo in the movie were shot in a sound stage in Hollywood. Likewise, the actual home used by the von Trapps in the movie was not the real von Trapp home, and is not, I think, visited on the tour. It is also not on a lake. The lakeside patio was a temporary set. Leopoldskron, which is on the tour, was not used in the movie.

Before thinking about the tour, get the DVD of SOM and listen to the commentary by director David Wise. If you do, I doubt that you will take the tour. Understand, I do think Salzburg is worth seeing; it's just that the tour is kind of contrived, and not very authentic.

Dachau is easily reached in about 40 minutes by S-Bahn and bus from the Hauptbahnhof in Munich. However, the guided tour starts around noon with an hour long movie, followed by a 2-3 hour actual tour. So, Dachau will take up most of an afternoon.

There is an awful lot to see and do in Munich. If I only had 2 or 3 days to do it, I don't think Dachau would show up on my priority list.

The Eagles' Nest (Kehlsteinhaus) is in Berchtesgaden, about an hour's bus ride from Salzburg. I doubt that you could do both Salzburg AND the Eagles' Nest in a day. Plus, the Dokumentation Center, at the foot of Kehlstein, is also well worth seeing.

When we were in Sburg in 2006, w ehad the choice of an SO< or a Lakes tour. As SOM is on TV in Sburg, 24 hrs a day every day, we chose Lakes and loved it. Sburg is cheaply reached from MUnich by use of Bayern Ticket. This is also good choice for Innsbruck and ,we believe,part of Switzerland. Little of the SOM tour has anything to do w reality- much like the movie.

I guess it depends on your guide. Ours was well versed; the SOM is not so popular with locals in Austria, and she told us why. THEY know its a VERY contrived MOVIE, compared to what really happened in Austr. during WW-II. we did get to see part of the lake district, along with the filming locations.

Now that I have figured out SOM . .
It's not that SOM is unpopular in Austria, it's nearly UNKNOWN, as it was never released in German language, or in Europe, period. It truly is a Hollywood production, hence the geographically different locations . .
In the meantime, more Austrians will comprehend when you American tourists storm the SOM busses, word's got around, we even had a theater piece about performed here last year.
With our incredible, thousand years worth of history, this nearly slipped by us, but only nearly . .
A good story, but historically tilted -
a good AMERICAN story . .
Fact is that the von Trapps took the train to Switzerland in relative comfort, never did cross the Alps on foot . .

In fact, if you look at a map, you will see that Salzburg is firmly between Germany and Italy, and that Switzerland is over 200 miles away via the Tirol and Vorarlberg. It is well established that the von Trapps defected while on a musical tour of the United States. And, Maria was never a canditate for being a nun, she was a teacher at the convent school.

However, whether it is factual or not, the story is entertaining. The point is that, whether or not you liked the movie, the tours have nothing to do with it. There are a few venues like the Mibabelle gardens, with the do-re-mi steps and the arbor, and the Festung, that were used in the movie and which you can easily see on your own, but most of the scenes on the tour (Gazebo, Leopoldskron) are not authentic.

Do the SOM tour-I suggest with Bob's tours which uses mini-vans with very small group as opposed to Panoramic, with 50-60 person buses. The gazebo has been moved to a public location and was very accessible when we were there. You will recognize the places. The movie is just one part of the tour, as the guide took us out to Monsdee (sp?) to see the church where Maria gets married...so what if it was just the movie, the church and St.Gilgen are beautiful and well worth seeing...it is very enjoyable and I plan to do it again on my next visit. Be absolutely sure to see Eagle's nest and Nazi Documentation Center, which is right across the parking lot for the bus ride up the mountain to the EN, which, by the way is called Kehlstein in German.
Have a great time...you won't regret it. Other hint-Bloberger Hof is a great place to stay, about 15 minutes out of city center, but with great bus transportation right out the front door. I beleve the sites:www.bobstours.com and blobergerhof.at