Mondsee
After our short photoop stopover at the Salzburg Lake District, we again boarded our tour bus for the final destination of the Original Sound of Music Tour – the scenic and lovely, Baroque Upper Austrian lakeside town of Mondsee in the Vöcklabruck district.
Check out “The Original Sound of Music Tour”
Peter briefing tour participants upon arrival at Mondsee
Located at the northern banks of Mondsee Lake (one of Austria’s last privately owned lakes), it is named for the lake’s crescent-moon shape. One of the biggest (and the warmest) of the Salzkammergut 76 lakes, Mondsee lake is 11 kms. (6.75 miles) long and 2 kms. (1.25 miles) at its widest.
Cheska at the town square
At the town, our Panorama Tours guide Peter allotted us time to avail of lunch as well as explore the lemon-and-white, twin-spired Minor Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel, the cloister collegiate church of the historic medieval Mondsee Abbey (founded in 748).
The author (left) with the Minor Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel in the background
The interior of the church hosted the wedding of Maria (played by Julie Andrews) and Captain von Trapp (played by Christopher Plummer) in the famous 1965 Austrian-set musical film The Sound of Music.
Grace and Kyle at a fountain beside the church
It has made the town the go-to wedding destination of the region, with 400 weddings taking place throughout the year.
Check out “Minor Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel”
Colorful townhouses
Apart from its connection with the movie, charming Mondsee is a riot of gaily painted townhouses, mostly restaurants and stores selling handcrafted wares, bordering its main square and along its streets.
The Rathaus (town hall)
Right outside the church is the city tram stop where trams bring visitors to the lakeside promenade which is lined with several highly rated and elegant restaurants and cafés serving traditional Austrian fare (such as local apple strudel and freshly baked rye bread from a traditional mill) as well as modern cuisine.
Drachenwand (Dragon Wall) MountainA stunning backdrop is formed by the craggy rock face of the impressive Drachenwand (Dragonwall) at the southern shore of the lake.
Schlossbräu Mondsee,
Mondsee is also home to a series of Neolithic pile-dwelling (or stilt house) settlements discovered in 1864 in the lake. Dating back 5,000 years, they are that are part of the Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Kyle and Jandy
In the warmer months, Mondsee offers stunning scenery and, in December, charming Weihnachts (Christmas) festivities.
Mondsee Tourist Information Office
The town is a 28-km. (21 min.), drive, via the A1, from Salzburg and thanks to its proximity to the city, Mondsee is frequented by visitors every weekend.
Mondsee Town Square
Mondsee Tourist Information Office: Dr.Franz-Müller-Straße 3, 5310 Mondsee, Austria. Tel: +43 6232 2270. Website: salzkammergut.at.