2000 September 28 : Thursday

01) THE EAGLE'S NEST | The first tour took me south, back across the border to Germany. This tour was a visit to Hitler's Eagle's Nest - a mountain chateau overlooking the town of Berchtesgaden that was built for and presented to him on his 50th birthday. According to my guide, Hitler was claustrophobic (among other things) and hated the brief 100' elevator ride from the parking lot to the chateau so much that he only visited The Eagle's Nest five times. However, Mussolini loved it and came often. The shot above looks across the dining patio (it's now a restaurant).

02) THE EAGLE'S NEST | They gave us about an hour up at the top to explore. I hiked up a few hundred yards past the dining patio to get a few photos of the countryside. Berchtesgaden is off to the right. The cluster of white buildings roughly in the center of the photo is a school for deaf children.

03) THE EAGLE'S NEST | Others copied me (but I was the first!).

04) THE EAGLE'S NEST | This is looking back towards The Eagle's Nest (at the far left). Salzburg is barely visible at the upper right.

05) THE EAGLE'S NEST | Eagle's Nest above, Berchtesgaden below. In between the two was a Nazi base that the Allies bombed the snot out of in WWII. They missed the Eagle's Nest because it was covered in snow and they couldn't see it.

06) BERCHTESGADEN | Lunch in Berchtesgaden. The Eagle's Nest is on the top of that hill.

07) SALZBURG | The second tour of the day was a SOUND OF MUSIC TOUR that visited the shooting locations of that film (Best Picture Oscar - 1965). This is Schloss Leopoldskron - which served as the basis for the "back" of the Von Trapp residence. The actual shooting occurred on a replica terrace that was built at a neighboring villa. This was also as close as we were allowed to get, as it is a private institution these days. Salzburg's castle is just to the left above it.

08) SALZBURG: SCHLOSS HELLBRUNN | The "I Am 16 Going on 17" song was filmed in in a similar gazebo on a studio soundstage. This gazebo was originally at the villa neighboring Schloss Leopoldskron (and appeared in several background shots in the film). After the film came out too many people were determined to visit it by climbing the walls of the estate. So, it was moved just offsite. Then the problem became that in addition to the tourists, locals began to use it for drinking and other assorted shenanigans. So it was moved several miles south to Schloss Hellbrunn. Anyone can visit it at no charge during the day, but it remains locked so you can't go in.

09) SALZBURG | At the end of this avenue is residence that served as the "front" of the Von Trapp residence in the film. We didn't actually get to go down there due to time constraints, but it is close enough to Salzburg that our guide said we could visit it on our own if we wanted to. Not having seen the film recently enough and lacking transportation and time, I passed.

10) NEAR ST. GILGEN | Our guide claimed that the "Hills are alive..." sequence that opens the film were shot near this area. I've since learned that it was actually filmed south of Salzburg near Brechtesgaden.

11) ST. GILGEN | Looking over the Wolfgangsee. The MUSIC connection here is that the opening scenes were filmed over the a nearby lake (Fuschlsee). Mozart's mother was also born in this town. My bus made a short rest stop here.

12) MONDSEE | Cathedral. The wedding scene from the film was shot inside - but it was too dark for me to get a good shot.

13) SALZBURG | Mozart was here. To be precise he lived here from 1773-1780.

14) SALZBURG | A footbridge - the Mozartsteg. Also seen in the film (Maria and the children run across it).

15) SALZBURG | Another shot. The river is green from all the salt (salz) in the area. Salt minining is the secret of Salzburg's success.