Nonnberg Convent

Nonnberg Convent Review

Just below the south side of the Fortress Hohensalzburg—and best visited in tandem with it—the Stift Nonnberg was founded right after 700 by St. Rupert, and his niece St. Erentrudis was the first abbess (in the archway a late-Gothic statue of Erentrudis welcomes the visitor). Spend the extra €0.50 to illuminate the frescoes just below the steeple. They are some of the oldest in Austria, painted in the Byzantine style during the 10th century. The church is more famous these days as "Maria's convent"—both the one in The Sound of Music and that of the real Maria. She returned to marry her Captain von Trapp here in the Gothic church (as it turns out, no filming was done here—"Nonnberg" was re-created in the film studios of Salzburg-Parsch). Each evening in May at 7 the nuns sing a 15-minute service called Maiandacht in the old Gregorian chant. Their beautiful voices can be heard also at the 11 pm mass on December 24. Parts of the private quarters for the nuns, which include some lovely, intricate woodcarving, can be seen by prior arrangement.