Not quite EVERY mountain.... (Sights and Attractions in Salzburg)

Member Name: southwind

Product:	Sights and Attractions in Salzburg
Date:	07/08/01 (946 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Not just The Sound of Music, Soundtrack played on the coach

Disadvantages: Time restraints, Distance from some sights

Many times has it been mentioned, but many are too afraid to admit that they have been on The Original Sound of Music Tour! While in Salzburg, I thought it wise to give it a try, especially as I would probably not return to the city for a long time.

The day began with me watching the film at my hostel, just to refresh my memory and annoy every one else by singing along. Conveniently, tickets for the tour where available at Reception... so during "Somewhere in my youth or childhood etc etc." (the WORST song in the film) I went and bought a ticket for the tour.

At 1:40pm, a coach picked me up from the hostel to take me to Mirabellplatz, along with a girl called Siobhan (it looks so odd written) who had, apart from that morning, NEVER seen The Sound of Music! I was horrified. Having grown up doh-a-deering and climbing every mountain in an incredibly bad falsetto, I couldn´t comprehend such a fate. It was here that the tour began by taken a look at the Schloss Mirabell gardens that feature in Do-Re-Mi. Our tourguide Dave, who had seen the film almost as many times as me, pointed out that eight scenes were filmed here.

From there we boarded the coach again (a very comfortable, airconditioned one at that), and headed for Castle Leopoldskron... which is obscurely the back of the Von Trapp family home... where the children fall in the river, the Baroness and Max drink pink lemonade, and they play that hilarious game of ball where the children piff it at the baroness!!! HA! Take that bitch!

ahem... sorry, get a little carried away sometimes.

Meanwhile, we also saw the front of the house (only from a distance however), Nonnberg abbey (also from a distance), the Gazebo (which is now nowhere near its original position... besides, the dance scene was filmed in a studio), and the Church at Mondsee which was used for the filming of the wedding.

But now for the best bit. Not only do you see these sights, but the c
oaches take you into the surrounding countryside that inspired Maria so much. If for nothing else, go on the tour for this! It´s such beautiful landscape, and the tourguide even puts on a recording of the REAL Von Trapp family performing local folk music in german (I thought it was a bit strange to be singing about tea with jam and bread when you´re from Austria). You get taken to St. Gilgen, which is a small town on one of the Lakes of the Salzkammergut - it´s connection to the Sound of Music was not apparent to me, but I´m sure it´s vitally important!

Unfortunately, as with most tours, there are time restrictions, so our stay in this region was shortlived. But we got the idea. Our guide also pointed out some local sites as we went along... Nannerl Mozart´s house in St. Gilgen (Mozart´s sister), and the Dragon Wall, where legend has it the strip of woodland is a sleeping dragon who wakes up every now and again and scorches the town of Mondsee, which conviniently has burnt to the ground at least ten times.

Sadly, the tour came to a close all too early for me (it last´s about four hours). As a parting gift, we were all given a packet of Edelweiss seeds to take home with us... may they bloom and grow forever.

So when you´re in Salzburg, do make the effort to go on the Tour. It´s only 400 schillings, or 350 if you buy the ticket from your Youth Hostel (see my op on the YoHo). Tickets can be bought from the stand at Mirabellplatz where the tours depart from. If in doubt, remember to climb every mountain, follow every rainbow, till you find your dream...

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