The Sound of Music is one of my all-time top movies and my favorite musicals. So when my sister, a fellow fan, told me she had a conference for work in Germany in July I asked if she’d considering adding on vacation days and do a Sound of Music tour of Salzburg with me. And I am so glad we did because Salzburg is easily my new favorite smaller city I’ve visited in Europe. Plus we had way too much fun recreating scenes from the movie around Salzburg on our Sound of Music Bicycle Tour!
While there are big bus, mini bus and self-guided tour options for the Sound of Music, we opted to choose Fräulein Maria’s Bicycle Tour after reading wonderful reviews online. The three and a half hour tour starts and ends at Schloss Mirabell . I highly recommend the tour for several reasons It’s easier to find the stops following a guide than on your own (though not impossible) It’s fun to hear stories and facts about the filming and stops. I loved the photo guide attached to the bicycle that showed what each location was used for in the film….and these are a few of my favorite stops from our Sound of Music bicycle tour!
Fräulein Maria’s Bicycle Tour
One of the most iconic filming sites from the movie is the square Residenzplatz and the Residenzbrunnen where Maria sings “I Have Confidence” and splashes in the horse fountain.
St. Peter’s Cemetery provided the inspiration for the abbey’s cemetery in the movie but most of that scene was actually filmed on a set in Hollywood.
Nonnberg Abbey, where Maria was actually a nun in real life, was used in the movie to film for the exterior of the abbey. The abbey itself is beautiful and the views of Salzburg on the way up hill is stunning!
After the stop at the abbey, we coasted downhill away from the city and into the outskirts where our fantastic guide Elise played songs from Sound of Musical for us! It was pretty magical to ride through Salzburg while listening to soundtrack. And as much as we wanted to sing a long, we were booking it on the bikes at this point so mostly hummed and sang along on the inside!
Our first stop was Schloss Leopoldskron, which was the filming location for the exterior of the Von Trapp family home. The terraces from the movie are only accessible to guests of the now boutique hotel but this epic view is pretty spectacular to see!
The next stop is the “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” and “Something Good.” Our guide took a few group shots of us throughout the tour which were posted on their Facebook page and this one was one of the best. Wheeee!
We actually did this stop independently the next day since we didn’t stop on the tour but rode on by to get back to our starting point! It’s the Mozart Bridge that Maria and the children cross on their big day out!
The tour ends back at Mirabell where you’ll make a final stop at the famous Do Re Mi steps Maria and the children sing on with the beautiful gardens and fortress in the background.
The tours happen rain or shine so do bring a rain jacket! Show Fräulein Maria’s Bicycle Tour love on Instagram and Twitter and book with them if you find yourself in Salzburg in season!
[This is not a sponsored post. We had such a fun time on our Fräulein Maria’s Bicycle Tour we wanted to share it for our readers who are planning a trip to Austria from April to October!]
as my carry-on piece and my 
On my list of what to buy was hammam towels, scarves, tiles, Turkish delight and apple tea (since I became addicted during my stay)! Of course, Istanbul and Turkey in general are famous for their carpets and textiles, but it wasn’t in my budget this time to purchase one. Something to keep in mind is that bargaining is expected, so make sure you’re in the mood to negotiate. Be patient and don’t get too attached- it’s easier that way to walk away and perhaps end up with a good deal.
