Fact check: Edelweiss is not a traditional Austrian folk song, but written specifically for the American musical, The Sound of Music.

Fact check: The mountain the Von Trapp family are seen fleeing over at the end of the film was not on the border of Austria and Switzerland, but Austria and Bavaria, which would have delivered the Von Trapps straight into the arms of Hitler, waiting patiently in his Eagle’s Nest. In real life, the family just caught a train over the border.

Fact check: Austrians don’t really care about the Sound of Music. It’s just fodder for the American and Japanese tourists.

And apparently, us. We joined a minibus of 4 lovely Americans and a peculiar, repetitive and occasionally incomprehensible local tour guide for a Salzburg tour of Sound of Music sites.

While the tour was lacking in as much hill frolicking as we’d have liked, it did take us on quite a fun tour of Salzburg and the surrounds. A park where scenes from the film were shot, the famous gazebo, the Von Trapp house exterior, the church from the wedding – we got our fill of film locations, and while they almost never corresponded with the real lives of the Von Trapps, the locations chosen by the Hollywood producers were all quite gorgeous.

We stopped by a number of stunning lakes, and even chilled out and had a beer with our new friends – a very fun time. Unexpectedly, I also went for a little toboggan ride down a gorgeous hill which was an absolute thrill.

Lunch back in town at the Modern Art museum afforded us another incredible view, and a visit to the Salzburg Museum was insightful and a pleasant respite from the heat. A wonderfully considered and presented museum that provides a unique look at the complexities of Salzburg’s history and culture. Highly interactive and engaging, an easy recommendation.

Salzburg – you’re gorgeous. We’re gonna miss you.