Without polished greenscreen and StageCraft technology at their disposal, 1960s filmmakers either had to utilize real locations as sets or construct new ones of their own. In the case of "The Sound of Music," those working behind the scenes opted for both methods, though real-world places took precedent over Hollywood backlot creations. As laid out by Movie-Locations, to give the film a genuine Salzburg, Austria look, the cast and crew took a trip to Europe for the bulk of principal photography. As a result of this choice, "The Sound of Music" is something of an Austrian sightseeing tour.
The opening aerial shots give viewers a look at Kloster Höglwörth and Schloss Anif before we jump to Maria's iconic hilltop introduction at Mehlweg in Bavaria, Germany. The actual Nonnberg Abbey also features in the final film, but its interiors and some of the exterior shots were pure fabrication. Hellbrunner Allee, Schloss Leopoldskron, and Schloss Frohnburg make up various parts of Villa von Trapp, and St. Michael's Church served as the setting for Georg and Maria's Nonnberg Abbey wedding. Near the end of the film, the von Trapps' mountainous escape overlooked the villages of Obersalzburg and Untersberg.
These locations and landmarks are among the most prominent that "The Sound of Music" featured during its runtime, and there's no denying how integral they were in bringing the story to life and making the film so visually breathtaking. It's plain to see that Wise and his team made the right move by keeping the sets as authentic as possible.
