The Hills Are Alive...

I really had no problem leaving Vienna earlier than expected, even though I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. That’s because I was heading to the Austrian city to which I was most looking forward to: Salzburg. Yes, Salzburg, which is most known around the world for two things: Mozart and The Sound of Music. Now you might say, “How could one of the world’s greatest composers possibly be put into the same category as a Hollywood film?” But there’s no doubt that this particular film has won the hearts of people around the world, and has done so since it was first released in 1964. In fact, today more people probably visit Salzburg to see the movie locations than to hear the work of Mozart. It’s true.

I actually came for both, although I should probably admit right here that The Sound of Music is probably my favorite film of all time. There, I’ve said it. And anyone who knows me well is probably not surprised. I’m just an old sap after all!

But let’s back up, to the train ride from Vienna to Innsbruck, which takes about three hours. The 7:30 a.m. train I boarded was already crowded. It was one of those trains that has separate compartments that seat six, and it took me a while to find one that had an empty seat. In the train were two girls, probably college students, a businessman in a suit, and two guys, I guessed a father and son. And when I sat down the father immediately offered me some of his morning drink—a giant bottle of beer. I politely declined, actually cringing inside. But he didn’t seem to have any problem with it, and continued sipping from it throughout the ride. Would it surprise you to learn that he eventually passed out, snoring loudly all the way to Salzburg? But he didn’t seem like a bad guy, only a guy that liked his beer for breakfast, so I stayed put. And I’ll tell you one thing he missed during his slumber: field after field of carefully tended fields filled with brilliant yellow flowers. I have no idea what they were, but they were breathtaking.

We eventually made it to Salzburg, and I hopped in a taxi to take me to my hotel for the next two nights, Altstadthotel Weisse Taube, right in the heart of old town Salzburg. The building the hotel is in dates back to 1365. It was first built as a private residence and then passed hands many times over the centuries, belonging at times to a monastery, a carpenter, other Salzburg residents, and the tailor’s city guild, who remained the owners until 1809. In 1809 a surgeon bought the house at auction and opened it to the public as a guesthouse. Again, the guesthouse continued to change hands numerous times (why didn’t anyone want to hang onto it?). Finally, in 1904 it was purchased by the Haubner family and has stayed in the family ever since. The hotel was badly damaged during World War II and was not repaired until 1964, when it was completely renovated.

And, although the staff was very nice, I must say that this hotel desperately needs another renovation. My guess is that it hasn’t really been touched since 1964. I actually felt as if I was staying in a trailer. Not only was it tiny, but the furniture was plywood, the bed looked like a cot with a wooden frame, and the bathroom was completely vinyl from top to bottom, and you had to step up a little to get into it. But the place was clean, the bed was actually comfy, and the location was ideal, so who was I to complain? Oh, did I mention the great view I had? (What is this with me and construction sites on this trip?)

After checking in, I was ready to explore the quaint town of Salzburg. Count Ferdinand Czernin once said, “All Salzburg is a stage. Its beauty, its tradition, its history enshrined in the grey stone of which its buildings are made, its round [sic] of music, its crowd of fancy-dressed people, all combine to lift you out of everyday life, to make you forget that somewhere far off, life hides another, drearier, harder, and more unpleasant reality.” Now my life is far from dreary and unpleasant, but the rest of what the count said is still true today. Salzburg just oozes charm, and you really do hear music practically everywhere you go.

I explored the narrow streets for a while, all lined with regal looking buildings, each shop, restaurant, or business clearly identified with its uniquely designed wrought-iron sign. Yes, even McDonald’s has a gorgeous sign, so much so that it’s hard to identify it as a McDonald’s at all, thank goodness. Everywhere you go in town you catch glimpses of church towers, the Salzach River, the Alps, and the grand fortress that sits on a hill, keeping watch over the town. There were even dancing fountains, just like the ones in Olympic Park in Atlanta, and it was warm enough for people to actually use them.

Soon it was time for lunch. Choosing restaurants when you’re in a place for such a short period of time is an art. I always try to find something that has a long tradition and a sense of history. That made my choice for lunch, the Zum Eulenspiegel, perfect. The restaurant is located in a building that dates back to 1713, and it gets its name from the 14th-century jester from Germany’s Braunschweig. It still maintains it 18th-century appeal, with lots of dark wood, nooks and crannies, open fireplaces, and antique weapons on the walls. But it was much too lovely to sit inside, so I opted to sit on the patio, complete with a view of Mozarts Geburtshaus (Mozart’s Birthplace), where the great composer was born in 1756 and lived until he was seventeen. He composed many of his early pieces in this home, and his first, very tiny, violin is still on display. And I read all about this while enjoying a wonderful salad under my bright umbrella overlooking the home.

After lunch I crossed over the river, and it seemed only fitting that I should now visit the Mozart Wohnhaus (Mozart Residence). Mozart moved to this house with his family when he was seventeen, and he lived there for seven years. He also composed many of his great pieces here, including the Salzburg Symphonies. The items on display here include instruments, autographed letters, books, and music. Many had been translated into English, so you got a really good sense of the relationships in the Mozart family.

I couldn’t stay too long though because I had a bus to catch! I had booked a tour of the Bavarian Alps and a salt mine that left promptly at 2 p.m. It was a small group—eight of us—and we boarded a van to embark on our tour, skillfully led by our guide Walter.

The van crept along narrow roads toward the German border. Along the way, Walter regaled us with stories of the area. At one point he turned off the main road and headed up a steep, twisting road so that he could show us Eagle’s Nest, Hitler’s former conference center that sits perched high on a hill, which is ironic given that Hitler had a fear of heights. That’s probably why he built a massive elevator through the mountain to take him up there, so that he wouldn’t have to see how high he was actually going. Although the road leading up to Eagle’s Nest was closed, we were able to see it from afar. If you look closely at this picture, you might be able to do the same. Looking at the landscape though, it becomes obvious why the Third Reich would want to set up residence here. The mountains are spectacular!

After our stop, we headed to our primary destination, salt mines that have been in operation for over 450 years, and are still active today. (Did you know that Salz means “salt”?) Before entering the mines, we were required to put on traditional miners clothing—loose white pants, a loose long-sleeved black shirt, and a leather belt with a leather padded cushion. We learned why we needed this later! I look like I’m ready for karate, don’t I?

After putting on the appropriate attire, we waited for our train, which would take us deep into the mines. The tunnels were long and dark, and the air grew cooler as we went deeper and deeper. We eventually reached the end of the line for the train, but we still had to go even deeper. How? On our bottoms, of course! Yes, we had to slide down a massive wooden slide, deep into the grottos of the salt mine, a thrilling ride that no amusement park could hope to recreate. Now we knew why those leather cushions were needed!

Once in the depths of the salt mines, we were taken to rooms with names like “Rock Salt Grotto,” Salt Lab,” “Blind Shaft,” and “Treasure Vault.” Along the way we saw mining equipment, we learned about the mining process, and we even saw a few true miners hard at work. We also had a chance to taste pure salt water, fresh from the earth. And then we came upon an underwater salt lake, over which we took a mystical boat ride.

Finally we boarded the train again, which took us back out into the sunlight, our eyes blinking in surprise and discomfort. I can’t even imagine what it would be like to work in those mines day after day, so far from the light of day.

After our mining adventure, Walter took us to the German town of Berchtesgaden. Yes, I was suddenly in Germany again, and seeing a biergarten was a good clue! We had about 45 minutes in this town. Walter suggested going for a coffee, but I wanted to explore instead.

I soon discovered the Nationalpark Berchtesgaden, which is located in the German state of Bavaria. The views over the Bavarian Alps and the tiny towns nestled in the foothills from this park were stunning.

A little further in my explorations I discovered the Kurgarten, a serene garden with row after row of trees, all in full bloom with gorgeous pink buds. I sat here reading, enjoying the peacefulness, until our van was ready to depart.

Once back in Salzburg, I learned that the Museum der Moderne Salzburg (Salzburg Museum of Modern Art) stays open late one night a week, and it just happened to be Wednesday. What luck! This is a relatively new museum; it opened in October 2004. It’s a minimalist modern (of course!) building that sits high on a hill overlooking Salzburg. In fact, to get to it, you have to take the Mönchsberg Elevator, which takes you straight through solid rock up to it.

Many people like to come up here, not necessarily for the museum, but to see the terrace outside it, known as the Café Winkler terrace. This is where Maria and the children start to sing “Doe, a deer, a female deer…” Although that song continues on and on, taking the group all over Salzburg, this is where it began, making this terrace legendary. And the views are legendary too, overlooking all of Salzburg and the Salzach River. Gorgeous!

And I thoroughly enjoyed the museum also. I’m really into photography, so I was thrilled to learn that the museum had two special exhibits, both of work by Joel Meyerowitz, an American photographer. The first was entitled “Out of the Ordinary” and consisted of photos he took in the U.S. between 1970 and 1980. Whereas many professional photographers prefer black and white, Joel Meyerowitz uses color, and with this film he captured the everyday, often absurd, during the decade of the ‘70s. Although the photos were taken all over the U.S., many were taken in Cape Cod, which made it even more meaningful to me. (Chip and I hope to own a home on the Cape one day.)

The second exhibit, also by Meyerowitz, was much more emotional. This was called “Aftermath” and was made up of photos he took in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. What makes this exhibit so special is that he was the only photographer who was given official authorization to make a photographic record of the aftermath of this tragedy. His work will be shown throughout the world, and I encourage you to see it if possible. It’s extremely moving.

Well, it was time for dinner, so I came back down the elevator and headed to the Zipfer Bierstuben, one of Salzburg’s oldest Gasthäuser (guesthouse) serving authentic Austrian food. It was a warm and cozy place for dinner.

After dinner I went to Café Tomaselli for an after-dinner coffee. This coffeehouse has been operating since 1705 and was one of the first coffeehouses in the area, opening its doors shortly after Austrians forced the Turks out and they left their coffee behind. Austrians have loved that coffee ever since! The Tomasellis began running the coffeehouse in 1753 and are still in charge today. The concoction they’re most known for is called the “Tomaselliums Café,” which is made with mocca, Mozart liqueur, and whipped cream. That’s naturally what I had, making a very nice ending to the day!


The next morning I was woken up early, once again, to the lovely sound of construction workers arriving for the day. No worry though because I had another bus to catch!




After having breakfast at my inn, I walked across the river toward the bus station. Because I had woken early, I even had time to visit Mirabellgarten (Mirabell Garden) before my tour departed. Anyone who has seen The Sound of Music will immediately recognize this gorgeous garden which is considered to be one of the most beautiful in all of Europe. It is here where Maria and the children continued on for most of the Do Re Mi song, creating probably the most delightful scenes in the entire film.

Everywhere I looked I spotted something from the film: a fountain, a statue, steps, and, of course, the Zwerglgarten (Dwarfs’ Garden). In this garden are 12 marble statues of “Danubian” dwarfs, which were designed for the bishop at the time. The models displayed here were actually the models for the final versions that were given to the bishop. Each dwarf has its own personality, with the most famous one being the one with the spectacles. If you’re familiar with The Sound of Music, you’ll know why!

I could have stayed here all day, but my, appropriately enough, Sound of Music tour was about to begin. Now I’ve long been a critic of bus tours. Whenever I see a tour bus making its way through San Francisco, I always feel so sorry for the people on board. How can they really see anything from that cramped space? How can they get a feel for the neighborhoods of the city? And now here I was, ready to get on one of those buses I’ve so despised. But if you want to see the film locations, there’s really no other way. That’s because filming did not take place just in Salzburg but all over the area. Without a car these locations would be impossible to see. So I figured I’d make the best of it!

I certainly wasn’t alone! Every seat in this massive bus was filled, and we departed right on time at 9:30 a.m. for our four-hour tour. Our guide was Peter and our driver was Marcus; they made quite an entertaining Rowan and Martin kind of team. In fact, Peter was quite theatrical throughout, as you’ll see in a later photo. As the bus made its way out of town, Peter told us some trivia about the film.

The von Trapps were a real family in Salzburg, although much of their reality was altered for the Rodgers and Hammerstein film. In fact, prior to the 1964 film there was a German version and a Broadway version, which starred Mary Martin. It was the Germans who gave Maria $9,000 for the rights to her story. She gladly took this payment and relinquished all rights. Oh, if she only knew…

Eventually 20th Century Fox bought the rights to the story, and the rest is history. Maria von Trapp actually didn’t like this version and threatened to sue. She settled for $900,000 in compensation. Interestingly, the Austrians didn’t like the film either, and many have still not seen it to this day. There are still dark rumors today that the Austrians did not approve of the anti-Nazi von Trapps, which must mean…(I’ll let you fill this in). Regardless, the rest of the world loves the von Trapps, and attendance on this tour was proof.

We also learned something that I found fascinating. It took them a lot longer to film The Sound of Music than was originally anticipated, 11 months to be exact. Filming took place not only in Austria but in Hollywood, so there was a lot of back and forth. And the closing scenes were actually filmed first. So if you watch the film closely, you’ll notice that the children get smaller as the film goes on!

Our first stop was at the Leopoldskron Palace, which was used as the back exterior of the von Trapp family home (another palace down the road served as the front). It sits on a beautiful lake, and it was here that Captain von Trapp first saw the children in the play clothes that Maria had made for them. You might recall that they came along in a boat, which capsized in this lake in their excitement to see their father again. This was also when the Baroness saw the children for the first time. The palace now serves as a conference center. The famous gazebo from the film actually sat on the property for quite some time, but some many people tried to sneak in to see it that the owners finally had it removed.

And that was our next stop: the gazebo’s new home on the grounds of the Schoss Hellbrunn (Hellbrunnn Palace). This palace was built in the 17th century by Prince-Archbishop Markus Sittikus, who had quite a sense of humor. He installed what is known as Wasserspiele (trick fountains) throughout his gardens and even in his formal dining room, on the guests’ seats of course. He had them shoot water at unexpected times, often dousing his guests in the process. He would laugh and laugh, and what were the guests to do? After all, you couldn’t yell at a prince-archbishop now, could you?

But we weren’t there to see the castle or the trick fountains; we were there to see the gazebo. After the film was made, 20th Century Fox presented the gazebo to the City of Salzburg as a gift. It remained in its original location at Leopoldskron Palace until 1991, when it was moved here to the grounds of the Hellbrunn Palace. It really is amazing to think that this was the exact gazebo in which Leisl sings “I am sixteen, going on seventeen...,” as she jumps from bench to bench. In fact, this is precisely why the gazebo is locked today. Some woman on the tour a few years ago thought that she could do just what Leisl did. Not even close. And to prevent further injury (and presumably lawsuits), the gazebo not stays locked to the public.

This is also where Maria and Captain von Trapp kiss for the first time (“Somewhere in my childhood, I must have done something good…”), another classic scene. And to make the scene we were seeing today even more magical, the gardens were abloom with bright pink flowers.

Next we drove by the Schloss Frohnburg, the palace that was used as the front of the von Trapp home (confusing, huh?). This is a private residence now, so we weren’t able to stop, but we did see the row of trees from which the children hung like monkeys in their new play clothes. My, what would the Baroness think?

Next Peter and Marcus took us to a surprise destination, one that has nothing at all to do with The Sound of Music: the rodelbahn! No, I had never heard of a rodelbahn either. The best way to describe it is like the luge, but on grass rather than snow, and down the foothills of the Alps.

Here’s how it works: You get on a little cart, made either for one or two people. The cart is hooked to what looks like a type of ski lift, which pulls you backwards up the hill (that’s me going up!). When you get to the top, your cart is transferred to the rodelbahn, a metal shoot in which you ride down the hill, at times extremely fast. There are even turns to bank. Now I might have had a skirt on, but there was no way I was missing out on the rodelbahn! What a blast!

Once we all had a chance to ride the rodelbahn, if we chose to (some were too chicken!), we got back on the bus and rode to a scenic overlook so that we could see one of the lakes that is featured in the aerial shots at the beginning of The Sound of Music. This particular lake is Lake Fuschl.

After the lake we drove on to the town of Mondsee, a quaint little town that is most known for the Basilika Mondsee, the cathedral that served as the location of Captain and Maria von Trapp’s wedding. Even though the wedding took place in the film in the Abbey, the filming actually took place here in Mondsee. My guess is that the filmmakers found this a brighter place in which to film. I must admit though that they made the church seem much larger and the aisle much longer in the film, but it was still beautiful to see.

We had a little time in Mondsee to grab some lunch. What did I have? “Warm apple strudel” of course! After all, it’s one of “my favorite things”!

This was the last stop on our tour before heading back to Salzburg, but I wasn’t ready for my Sound of Music experience to end quite yet. Next stop? The Festspielhaus (Festival Hall Complex). They give one tour a day there at 2 p.m., and this is the only way you can see the complex if you’re not attending a performance. Luckily, I just made it! In fact, the tour was already heading out, but the guide let me join.

The Festival Hall Complex is actually made up of three separate theatres, the Haus für Mozart (House for Mozart), the Grosses Festspeilhaus (Great Festival Hall), and the Felsenreitschule (the Rocky Riding School).

But we actually started out in the Faistauer Foyer, a beautifully frescoed room, with all frescoes having something to do with performing arts. Beautiful!

Next we entered the Karl Böhm Saal. Although once a theatre, this room is now used primarily to serve refreshments at intermissions. It’s a glorious space nonetheless, which one wall actually built right out of the solid rock into which the theatre complex is built. It also has a wonderful frescoed ceiling depicting a fight scene. Our guide, who is a dancer at the complex herself, looked as if she were on stage as she was showing it to us.

By the way, our guide was quite impressive. We were a mix of German- and English-speaking tourists, and our guide was able to move flawlessly form one language to the other. At one point she realized that one of the group spoke Italian. No problem! She simply delivered part of the tour in Italian too. The Europeans and their language abilities really put Americans to shame!

Anyway, our next stop, and the one I had been waiting for, was the Great Festival Hall. No one who has seen The Sound of Music can ever forget the von Trapps performing in the Salzburg Festival in this very theatre. (If you don’t get a tear in your eye when Captain von Trapp sings Edelweiss, well, you’re simply not human.) It was also through these archways that the von Trapps escaped as they sang So Long, Farewell to the crowd, right before the eyes of the Nazi soldiers. What a thrill to actually be here!

What a fantastic tour! And I still had a few things I wanted to see. So I walked toward the funicular that would take me up to the fortress. Along the way I stopped at Museum der Moderne Rupertinum, another modern art museum, this one on lower ground. The special exhibit here was in honor of Igor Stravinsky, the great Russian composer. The exhibit was a collection of black-and-white photographs taken throughout his life by such great photographers as Richard Avedon, Henri Cartier-Bresson, George Platt Lynes, Arnold Newman, and Antony Armstrong Jones. I don’t know how I lucked out with all of these great photography exhibits in Salzburg’s modern art museums!

Next I made a stop at Stiftkirche St. Peter (Collegiate Church of St. Peter), the most famous church in Salzburg (and there are many!). It is in this church where Mozart’s famous composition Mass in C Minor premiered in 1783, with his wife Constanze singing the lead soprano role. Imagine being there! This same piece is still performed in this church every August during the summer music festival.

Outside the church is Petersfriedhof (St. Peter’s Cemetery), the oldest Christian graveyard in Salzburg. The graves are beautifully decorated with flowers, and most interesting of all is to look up to the rockface, which contains very early Christian tombs.

After walking through the cemetery, I boarded the Festungsbahn (funicular railway) to take me to the Fortress Hohensalzburg, the largest preserved medieval fortress in Central Europe. You can see this fortress, built in 1077, from anywhere you happen to be in Salzburg, and it’s really quite magnificent.

Many of the rooms in the fortress contain displays of weaponry, armor, medieval art, musical instruments, costumes, and torture instruments (you really can’t get away from this in Europe!). There’s even a Welt der Marionetten (World of Marionettes), which seems oddly out of place up here. But the exhibit is devoted the Marionettentheatre (Marionette Theatre), the world’s greatest marionette theater, located right in Salzburg. Yes, this was the theatre that assisted with the marionette scene in The Sound of Music (remember the lonely goatherd?).

Better than the exhibits, though, were the views from up here, across lovely Salzburg to the dramatic Alps. And here’s a view of Salzburg from the funicular on the way back down.

A Sound of Music-related trip wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the Stift Nonnberg (Nonnberg Convent), so that was my next stop. This was the abbey made famous in the film. It was founded by St. Rupert in 700, and his niece was the first abbess. Even though the film took some liberties with the story, Maria really in this convent prior to meeting Captain von Trapp. What surprised me is that I was able to walk around the grounds and enter the chapel. I first came to an iron gate and saw a nun on the other side. I asked, “Permesso?” and she smiled and waved me in. The peacefulness here was beyond words. I almost felt as if I was intruding, although no nun made me feel that way. They also had a gorgeous view from up here, which somehow doesn’t surprise me. This was really a spiritual experience.

After leaving the abbey, I walked down a flight of stone steps (the same steps that the von Trapp children used when they visited the abbey to try to see Maria?) back into Salzburg. I went back to the hotel to change for dinner and then set off for a little more exploration.

I first went to the Panorama Museum, which is part of the Salzburg Museum (scheduled to open this summer). The Panorama Museum is home to one of the only remaining 360 paintings in the world. This painting by Johann Michael Sattler depicts Salzburg in the 19th century, 1829 to be exact. In addition to his Salzburg panorama, the museum also has other Sattler panoramic paintings of other cities in the world, including Vienna, Boston, Edinburgh, Geneva, Havana, Lisbon, London, Mexico City, Paris, Rome, Venice, and New York City.

This museum was so interesting that I could have stayed a lot longer, but I had to be back outside by 6 p.m. That’s because this is the time that the Glockenspiel (Carillon) plays. Every day, three times a day (7 a.m., 11 a.m., and 6 p.m.) the 35 bells in this tower play classical songs, mostly by Mozart. At the end of the song, a 200-pipe “Bull” organ at the Fortress Hohelsalzburg answers back with a loud retort. I just had to see this! It really was enchanting!

I then continued my walk, past St. Florian’s Fountain, which was built in 1734 to honor the patron saint of firefighters. You might remember this from one of the early scenes in The Sound of Music, when Maria was on her way to the von Trapp home for the first time (“I have confidence in me…”).

I had a little time before dinner for an aperitif, so I headed to the Goldener Hirsch (Golden Stag), probably the most famous hotel in Salzburg. Who has stayed here? Well, Picasso, Pavarotti, the Rothschilds, the Gettys, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, and Queen Elizabeth, just to name a few. Surprisingly, it doesn’t look very sumptuous inside; instead, it feels more like a hunting lodge. I settled into a seat in the bar, and the bartender suggested their special cocktail. Well, why not? I’m not sure what was in it, but it was good! As I was sitting there enjoying my cocktail and the snacks he also brought to my table, three couples sat at the table next to me and struck up a conversation. Right away I noticed their Southern accent. Sure enough, they were all from Atlanta. Small world! And they were quite excited to learn that I was a Georgia Bulldog! Go Dawgs! (And I swear, as I write this, Ray Charles’s Georgia on My Mind just came on the radio, all the way here in Florence. Amazing!)

All too soon I had to leave for dinner, but that was okay with me. You see, I had reservations for a very special dinner, the Mozart Dinner Concert in the Baroque Hall of Stiftskeller St. Peter, the restaurant at St. Peter’s Church, a restaurant since 803. Extraordinary!

What a magical night this was! I was seated at an “English-speaking table” and was charmed by my seatmates: two couples from Scotland, and the gentleman next to me was a retired English teacher. On my other side were two high school students from Venice, traveling on their own. (I’m not sure I would let Jake do that!)

Sitting in the Baroque Hall really did make me feel as if I had been transported back to the days of Mozart. By candlelight we dined on a three-course meal that would have been typical during Mozart’s time:

Cream soup flavored with lemon, wine, and a hint of cinnamon

Roasted capon breast on a bed of polenta with a truffle-sage-cream sauce

Potatoes and vegetable from Father Prior’s garden on the church grounds

Semi-freddo honey parfait with fruit and sauces

And before we began and between each course a five-piece orchestra played, accompanied by two very talented singers, one male and one female. All were in typical period dress. The singers had this incredible chemistry that made the music magical. (On one of their breaks I happened to see them together in another room, and she was sitting on his lap. Hmmm, maybe that explains it!)

We heard music from Mozart’s most famous operas: Don Giovanni, Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), and Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute). It truly was a night I’ll never forget.

Oh, by the way, Salzburg is a candidate for the 2014 Olympics. They've got my vote!