5 Secrets From the Sets of 'The Sound of Music'

"The movie played for an unprecedented 14 months, and local parents quickly discovered that the theater doubled as the cheapest babysitter in town. They dropped us off with Maria and the von Trapps at least six to eight times that year, knowing we were in good hands for a few hours of show tunes. Somewhere between "Do-Re-Mi" and the escape from the Nazis over the Alps, I fell hard for musicals, for Austria, and the very handsome Christopher Plummer."

"That early infatuation with Austria followed me into my career as a film, design, and travel journalist. Decades ago, I made my first pilgrimage to Salzburg to pay homage to the film's storied locations-humming the music while wandering Mirabell Gardens and standing in awe before the baroque facades and Pegasus Fountain that had become cinematic landmarks. When The Sound of Music turned 60 this year, it seemed only fitting to return, this time to the Tyrolean Alps, just an hour from Salzburg."

The Sound of Music premiered in June 1965 at Nashville's Belle Meade Theater and ran for 14 months, becoming a practical babysitter for local families. Repeated viewings instilled a lasting affection for musicals, Austria, and Christopher Plummer, with "The Lonely Goatherd" becoming an enduring memory and annual rewatch. A later pilgrimage to Salzburg included visits to Mirabell Gardens, baroque facades, and the Pegasus Fountain tied to the film. A 60th-anniversary return centered on the Tyrolean Alps and a stay at family-owned bio hotel Stanglwirt, notable for period wood-beamed rooms, traditional staff, Lipizzaner stallions, and Hollywood guests.

Read at Architectural Digest