Most of The Sound of Music was filmed in and around the city of Salzburg and the nearby Salzkammergut lake district in Austria, with a cluster of very visitable spots.

Main Austrian filming locations

  • Salzburg city: Many iconic scenes were shot in Salzburg, including Mirabell Palace and Gardens (the “Do-Re-Mi” steps and Pegasus Fountain), Residenzplatz square, and the Felsenreitschule (Festival Hall) where the family sings “Edelweiss” and performs before their escape.
  • Lakes and mountains near Salzburg: The opening aerial shots and “the hills are alive” vistas use the Salzkammergut region and surrounding alpine scenery, with lakes and mountain backdrops standing in for the wider Austrian countryside.
  • Mondsee: Maria and the Captain’s church wedding was filmed inside the parish church of Mondsee, a small town east of Salzburg, which is now a popular fan stop.
  • Werfen: The picnic and “Do-Re-Mi” montage includes shots near the town of Werfen, with Hohenwerfen Fortress visible in the background.

Quick scoop for trip planning

  • If you want a single base, stay in Salzburg : from there you can easily walk to many spots (Mirabell Gardens, Residenzplatz, the Festival Hall area) and then day‑trip to Mondsee and Werfen.
  • Local tourism boards and guides now offer “Sound of Music” tours that string these locations together, often mixing city stops with lake and mountain viewpoints from the film.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.