My family and I traveled to Vienna and Salzburg over Thanksgiving. It was an incredible trip with stops at palaces, Christmas Markets, Mozart concerts and more than one indulgence in a delectable Sacher Torte. However, perhaps the true highlight was our Sound of Music Tour through Salzburg. We traversed through the  cobblestone streets of Old Town Salzburg via horse and carriage, and Instagrammed, Snapped and Video Starred the whole way through. 

For fellow Rogers & Hammerstein fans, I highly recommend visiting Salzburg, the primary filming location of The Sound of Music. You’ll be utterly enchanted by the history— both cinematic and musical, and you’ll really feel one with the Von Trapps! To think that, back in 1965, Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer roamed the same streets that I roamed just days ago…You’ll get it if you get it. 

My favorite, fun Sound of Music facts that I picked up along the way: 

1. Charmaine Carr, the actress who played Liesel, and Christopher Plummer, the actor who played Captain Von Trapp, had a secret affair during filming. 
2. The actress who played Gretel gained so much weight during filming that a stunt double was required for the scene in which Captain Von Trapp carries her over the mountains. 
3. The original “16 Going on 17” Pavilion was built especially for the film, and was moved from its original filming location to Hellbrunn Palace. They have since locked entry to the pavilion, as so many Sound of Music fans were injuring themselves hopping between the benches, attempting to mimic the iconic scene.
4. Nobody eats ‘schnitzel with noodles’ in Austria. Rogers & Hammerstein just thought it sounded good. 
5. Julie Andrews was averse to playing Maria initially, as she had just starred in Mary Poppins, and did not want to depict another nanny. 
6. The actor who played Kurt grew six inches over the course of the film’s production. 
7. While The Sound of Music is based on a true story, Captain Von Trapp was actually considered to be nicer than Maria in reality. 
8. Charmaine Carr not officially hired until several days into filming, and her first scenes were merely ‘trial runs.’ She started with “My Favorite Things,” and missed her entrance cue twice, as the fake thunder claps were too loud. She feared she’d be fired instantly!
9. Christopher Plummer was drunk while filming the festival scene, and said that working with Julie Andrews was like being ‘repeatedly hit over the head with a Valentine.’ HIs singing was also dubbed by a different actor.
10. Max, Baroness Von Schroeder’s oft-intoxicated minion, is an entirely fictional character.