By Michael Hartigan
My daughter breaks out into elevated decibel song whenever
she hears Julie Andrews begin, “Do-Re-Mi.”
If she’s in the car and the tune pops across Pandora, she’ll
sing right along with Maria as the nanny teaches the Von Trapp children how to
do something they clearly already mastered. If we turn on The Sound of Music movie, my daughter will gallop around the living
room as if she’s twirling around the green foothills of the Alps.
And in all cases, my wife and I will at the very least hum
along with her.
Regardless of location, one thing is certain: The Sound of Music and its songs do not
escape one’s memory bank quickly. Rightfully so, based on the genius of Rodgers
& Hammerstein and the virtuosity of cinematic legends like Andrews and
Christopher Plummer.
But the movie’s consequence is of so much more than just
catchy tunes nagging at the back of our minds. The Sound of Music is a feast for the eyes as much as for the ears.
The sweeping mountainscapes, palatial settings and historic scenes have become
iconic in their own right. Take, for example, the glass gazebo that provided
the romantic backdrop for Liesl and Rolfe’s upbeat ditty and for Maria and the
Captain’s first kiss.
Whereas the audible legacy of this cinematic classic is
ingrained in song, much of the visual legacy is that of Salzburg, Austria.
Hanging in my living room – right by the television where my
daughter watches and mimics the youngest Von Trapp daughter – is a large photo
of the Salzburg skyline, topped by the formidable Hohensalzburg Fortress. I
snapped this picture from a vantage point down along the ridge that runs above
the city, taken around sunset when the embattlement and the city spires were
flush with pinkish solar hue. With a subtle, natural but vivid color spectrum
spanning blues to oranges to pinks, this is one of my favorite travel photos.
That might also have to do with the memories I have from my time in that
exquisite city, and keeping the photo hanging in a prominent place allows me
recall them frequently.
This panorama is spotted in the film during, “Do-Re-Mi,” and
is just one of many of the film’s settings you can visit while in and around
Salzburg.
At the top of the list are the exquisite Mirabell Palace and
the lush Mirabell Gardens. We took a pleasant stroll through the grounds,
bumping into the gnome statues featured in the film, located in the Gnome
Garden. We also weaved through the hedge tunnel, bobbed up and down the stairs,
and circled the famous Pegasus fountain, just like the cinematic Von Trapp
kids.
Even if you aren’t familiar with the movie – and full
confession, I was not a huge fan prior to my own trip to Salzburg – visiting
the film locations are still worthwhile.
For more in-depth coverage, there are myriad tour companies
around Salzburg that will whisk you away to film locations. We chose Panorama
Tours and were rewarded with a jovial and informative tour guide, whose
knowledge of history and architecture rivaled his ability to get the entire bus
singing in harmony with Julie Andrews.
The tour was worth it just for the opportunity to get
outside the city limits to the beautiful lakes region. Passing several lakes
and rolling green countryside, our bus arrived at Lake Mondsee, where we
explored the picturesque town of the same name and its famous fluffy yellow
cathedral, where they filmed Maria and Captain Von Trapp’s wedding.
Our tour also stopped at Hellbrunn Palace to see the
aforementioned gazebo, as well as Leopoldskron Palace, which afforded views of
the mansion used for exterior shots of the Captain’s backyard.
Salzburg itself benefits from its connection to The Sound of Music, but as a vacation
destination the city hardly needs it.
There is inherent charm throughout Salzburg, like so many
Austrian and German towns, in its old town, its plazas and its people.
We got lost trekking between buildings and emptied out into
a wide plaza where local men were engaged in a game of chess. But not just any
chess – oversized two-foot chess pieces on a chessboard painted on the ground.
We sat and watched while they battled and horse-drawn carriages trotted by.
As Mozart’s hometown, there are numerous opportunities to
experience the town’s contributions to the musical spectrum, such as the
musician’s birthplace or Mozartplatz, which features a statue to the virtuoso.
The impressive Hohensalzburg Fortress heaves above the city
and from it, the hike along the ridge provides one of the most stunning
panoramas in Europe. But the view is not the only reward.
We trekked to the Augustiner Braustuebl, a sprawling,
boisterous brewpub drowning in beer. The spectacle is as awesome as what fills
your massive stone stein. To get a beer, I stood in a line that snaked past
wooden shelves covered in huge mugs. Not knowing protocol, I did what the
locals did: grabbed a couple steins, washed them out in the constantly running
stone fountain and arrived in front of the mustachioed kegmeister. He asked
simply (in German), “light or dark.” Then stepped back to the two gargantuan
wooden kegs behind him, filled them to sloshing and shooed me away, beers in
hand.
And of course, as is recommended in these parts, we sat at a
communal table in one of the timbered halls to engage in rowdy conversation
with our fellow beer lovers. Despite the numerous rounds, it was as unforgettable
as, “Do-Re-Mi.”
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