We will be in Salzburg in two weeks and really wish to see the surrounding countryside (ex: being on a hillside and looking down onto the city or just seeing the rolling hills, like in the first scene in "Sound of Music&quot

We love "Sound of Music" but keep bouncing back and forth on whether to take the SOM tour or not. Have read many mixed reviews.

My question is, what it is the best way to see the surrounding countryside and rolling hills? We will only be in Salzburg for two days, unfortunately. One of those days we will spend doing the Mozart stuff and other historical sites. We are afraid if we take the SOM tour, that 1) we will not get to these rolling hills 2) if we do get there, we will only be there for 3 minutes.

Also, given that we only have two days, should we take a short trip to St. Gilgen.

Hi G,

With only 2 days, i suggest just staying in Salzburg.

The Salzburg card is well worth the money.
www2.salzburg.info//sehenswertes_283.htm

The SOM tour we took included a nice ride up to the lakes area and lunch in a cute town.

RonZ -- Which company did you take as your guide on the SOM tour ?

Stay in Salzburg, as recommended above. Take the river boat down to Schloss Hellbrunn, after visiting the schloss and trick fountains, walk up to the folk museum (almost nobody goes there, but it is interesting). Some wonderful views there. If you do want to see a lake, catch a post bus to St. Gilgen. Check the bus schedules...maybe you have an early dinner in St. Gilgen? Get there late afternoon after you've done you S-burg sightseeing, stroll around, have a light dinner, then head back.

My mother and I really enjoyed our SoM tour...we were lucky to have an outstanding tour leader (a lifelong Salzburg resident and retired teacher) who clued us in not only to the SoM stuff but also to other things about Salzburg and the area that weren't related to SoM but were still fascinating (like the impact Red Bull is having on the region).

We took the SOM tour a few years back and in addition to giving you an overview of Salzburg they went out into the Salzkammergut to Mondsee to the Wedding Scene Church. Along the way you get a nice tase of the countryside and they stopped at a Sommerodelbahn Luge ride that was a lot of fun.

I really enjoyed the SOM tour, but mainly because it took me to places like St. Gilgen and Mondsee--places I would not have known to go otherwise. Knowing they exist, I think you might be better off going on your own by post bus. We could have used more time in St. Gilgen, especially, than the tour provided. St. Gilgen is stunningly beautiful. Then again, singing "Doe a deer" with a bus full of American tourists might appeal to you.

So to do a SOM tour on your own, many of the sites are within the city of Salzburg itself, yet there are destinations outside the city as well. Which are the must do sites outside the city for SOM? I know St. Gilgen and Mondsee church (are they easy to get to by public transportation?)......what other sites are outside the city that we need to see

I LOVED the SOM tour - and I highly recommend doing that versus doing it on your own. They do take you to delightful countryside locations, and they know all the history (plus, you obviously hear the music....). It's fun, and it's a great way to see Salzburg. The second day (or first - whichever), you can wander around Salzburg itself. Have a great time - gorgeous place, and one of my favorite in Austria.