Of course when in Salzburg, we had to visit the Mirabell Gardens and not just for the Sound of…read moreMusic movie spots! Flowers and gardens were in bloom. The heatwave that hit the EU didn't deter visitors but it was still good that we visited in the morning before it got hotter or crowded. There were a few die hard SOM movie fans prancing around the Pegasus fountain before running up the steps, posing by the gladiator statues at the entrance or running through the Hedge Tunnel. The garden of dwarf statues was quieter and I wondered if visitors knew they had to cross a bridge (near the Pegasus Fountain) to gain access. The Mirabell Palace was somewhat open as we could really only climb the Angel Staircase but couldn't enter the hall where Mozart played or really anywhere else unfortunately. Still worth seeing. Lastly make sure to check out the Orangerie where the Panorama Museum was just relocated and opened in a very modern setting in June. The Sattler Panorama painting inside was a 360 degree view of Salzburg from the early 1800s. Make sure to also view the interactive terminals to do a side by side comparison between the panorama of now and the . Admission was included as part of the Salzburg Card.

I don't know why I felt like singing Do a Deer, a female deer, as soon as I entered and kept…read morelooking up at the trees! Famous for the filming of the Sound of Music, these gardens are beautiful. Definitely a must stop when in Salzburg. I was here in November and they were so well maintained. I can only imagine how beautiful they are in the spring and summer with all the flowers.

The honest draw here is the Sound of Music gazebo, and it does deliver, though it's worth knowing…read moreupfront that the pavilion was actually relocated to make it easier for the public to visit. So it's not technically where they filmed the scene, but it's the real gazebo on very beautiful grounds, and standing in front of it in Salzburg still feels cool The palace and park themselves are a bigger win: a 17th-century pleasure palace with enormous, well-maintained grounds that are genuinely gorgeous to wander on a good day. The trick fountains are a legitimate reason to come, although they were off on the day of our visit which was a bummer. If you're in Salzburg and have any interest at all in the film or just want an afternoon outside the old town, this is worth the trip.

Since we had the 24 hour Salzburg Visitor card, we stopped at the Hellbrunn palace on the way back…read morefrom the Untersberg cable car experience. I wanted to come here since the Gazebo from the Sound of Music (where Liesl sings 16 going on 17) is here. The tour of the palace highlights the "Trick Fountains" which are really interesting, fun and surprisingly artistic. As you walk around these fountains, there are times when they suddenly spew water, getting unsuspected guests a bit wet.... The palace was built in 1613-19 and named for the "clear spring" that supplied it. Hellbrunn was only meant for use as a day residence in summer, as the Archbishop usually returned to Salzburg in the evening; therefore, there is no bedrooms in Hellbrunn. The place has plenty of beautifully landscaped green spaces and it is just a marvel of what hydraulics can do. There's a cute cafe and a souvenir shop on the grounds.

No trip to Berchtesgaden is complete without a boat ride through the Konigssee in Berchtesgaden…read moreNational Park. The Boat rides leave from the tip of the Konigsee, and can be taken to One or Two spots for a different affordable price. Its a beautiful ride through the lake in the mountains. The entire tour is in German so if you don't speak the language you won't really know what's going on, but no need to as the ride is a reward in itself. Be sure to get to the Docking stations early so that you have time to head out to St. Bartholomew etc. and Hike around. There is also a hofbrau haus directly next to the church to have a nice meal while you wait to return to Berchtesgaden. It's a must do while in this beautiful area of Germany. Take the ride, and listen to the amazing echo's of the trumpets off the mountain side. Highly recommended, and well worth the price.