Schloss Leopoldskron
Built in 1736, Schloss Leopoldskron is a rococo palace that stands within large, manicured grounds on the fringes of Salzburg. The lakeside palace is today run as a hotel and remains instantly recognizable to many as the Von Trapp home in the 1965 movie The Sound of Music.
The Basics
Designed by architect Pater Bernhard Stuart and acclaimed for its elaborate stucco work, Schloss Leopoldskron has been owned by a string of famous historical figures, including Bavaria’s King Louis I and Max Reinhardt, the Salzburg Festival co-founder portrayed in The Sound of Music.
The palace is closed to the public and only accessible to hotel guests, with no visits or tours available. Travelers can view its exterior on tours that also cover other Salzburg highlights, and which may include a Salzach River cruise. Alternatively, you can admire its lakeside façade on a Sound of Music tour that also visits other shoot locations including the Mirabell Gardens and Mondsee Cathedral. Other possibilities for experiencing the building are on multi-day stays at the hotel, and trips that combine the movie’s filming locations in the surrounding Salzkammergut region with breakfast at the hotel.
Things to Know Before You Go
- Schloss Leopoldskron offers no restaurant or guided tours, so the only way to visit is as a hotel guest.
- The hotel is largely wheelchair-accessible.
- Admire the palace from the outside on a Sound of Music tour to benefit from a guide’s commentary and return transport.
How to Get There
Schloss Leopoldskron is located about 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) south of central Salzburg and can be reached by foot or bus—or most easily on a Sound of Music tour that includes round-trip transportation. Unobstructed palace views can be enjoyed from the lakeside path across the water, an approximate 25-minute, but often steep, walk from Salzburg’s center. The nearest bus stop for the path is at Georg-Nikolaus-von-Nissen-Strasse.
Trip ideas
When to Get There
You can enjoy views of Schloss Leopoldskron from across the lake year-round. The palace looks its best in summer, when it—and the lake—appear as they did in The Sound of Music. Winter-time views are also magical, when the palace and its gardens are coated in snow.
Sound of Music Locations at Schloss Leopoldskron
Several Sound of Music scenes were shot at Schloss Leopoldskron, or on adjacent lakeside terraces with replicas of the palace’s horse-statue gates. In the film, the Von Trapp family are shown drinking lemonade on the terrace, Maria and the Captain argue by the waterfront, and the children’s boat capsizes on the lake.
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