The gazebo at Hellbrunn Palace – famous as the setting for Sixteen Going On Seventeen in the Sound of Music – was originally at Leopoldskron Palace.
The Sound of Music gazebo, summarised
- The gazebo at Salzburg’s Hellbrunn Palace featured in 1965 movie the Sound of Music.
- It was the setting for Sixteen Going On Seventeen.
- The gazebo was originally by the lake at Leopoldskron Palace.
- It was moved to Hellbrun Palace due to loud tourists.
- The gazebo is now locked for safety reasons.
To see the Sixteen Going on Seventeen Gazebo on a Sound of Music tour from Salzburg, book here.
For more detail, read on.
The Sixteen Going on Seventeen gazebo
The gazebo from 1965 movie musical the Sound of Music is a popular tourist attraction in the Austrian city of Salzburg.
In the film, the gazebo is by the lake at Leopoldskron Palace. It is, infamously, the setting for Sixteen Going On Seventeen. Liesl and Rolfe jump around on the gazebo’s benches.
The Sound of Music at Leopoldskron Palace
Leopoldskron Palace has been used as a seminary centre since 1959, but its exteriors doubled as the Villa Von Trapp in the movie. Several outdoor scenes were filmed around the lake, which later made it very popular with tourists.
So popular, in fact, that the decision was made to move the gazebo.
The guide on my Salzburg Sound of Music tour tells me that the visitors became a problem. “All the people at the seminars could hear was people singing ‘I am sixteen, going on seventeen’ and they couldn’t concentrate,” she says.
Five great things to do in Salzburg
- 🎶 Bring out your inner Maria – on a Sound of Music locations tour.
- 🥧 Take an apple strudel cooking class – with lunch included.
- 🏛️ See the highlights of the Old Town – on a guided walking tour.
- ⛏️ Go underground in a salt mine – and see the Bavarian Alps too.
- 🏰 Head up to the Hohensalzburg Fortress – for a best of Mozart concert.
Moving the Sound of Music gazebo to the Hellbrunn Palace
Therefore the decision was made to move the gazebo was moved to the gardens of Hellbrunn Palace, 5km to the south of Salzburg city centre.
Hellbrunn Palace was built as a hunting and party retreat by Prince-Archbishop Markus Sittikus in the early 17th century. It is otherwise known for its series of ‘trick’ fountains which squirt water at unsuspecting passers-by.
For fans of the Sound of Music in Salzburg, however, it’s all about the gazebo.
Why the Hellbrunn Palace gazebo is locked
The gazebo is much smaller than expected – the interior scenes were shot inside a much-larger mock-up in the Hollywood studio.
It is also, alas, locked. “Tourists kept trying to recreate the scene, leaping from bench to bench,” says my guide.
“They kept slipping and hurting themselves and, after one elderly lady broke her hip, the authorities decided it was safer to lock it.”
Things to do near Hellbrunn Palace
- Salzburg Zoo – Immediately beside the palace grounds, the zoo has animals from around the world in a landscape beneath the Hellbrunn hills.
- Hellbrunn Stone Theatre – Built into a former stone quarry, this historic open-air theatre dates from the early 17th century.
- Monatsschlössl and Salzburg Folklore Museum – This small building in the palace park houses exhibits on regional traditions and folk culture.
- Hellbrunner Allee – This historic, tree-lined avenue links the palace grounds with the city and is suitable for walking or cycling.
Alternative attractions
- Hohensalzburg Fortress – Salzburg’s hilltop medieval fortress has historic rooms, museums and panoramic views across the old town.
- Museum der Moderne – This modern art museum on Mönchsberg combines contemporary exhibitions with views across Salzburg’s historic centre.
- Mirabell Palace and Gardens – The central palace and its formal gardens are among the Sound of Music filming locations covered in my Salzburg guides.
- Untersberg Cable Car – South of Salzburg, this cable car climbs to alpine terrain with walking trails and views over the surrounding mountains.
- Salzburg Cathedral – This Baroque cathedral in the old town has an imposing façade, a monumental interior and a central role in Salzburg’s religious history.
More Austria travel
Other Austria travel articles on Planet Whitley include:
- Can you walk from Salzburg Airport to the city centre?
- Is the Bergisel ski jump in Innsbruck worth the entry fee?
- Learning about incredible forgeries at Vienna’s Museum of Art Fakes.
- Why the Naschmarkt may be your favourite bit of Vienna.
- How to get from Linz to Cesky Krumlov in Czechia.
