Of course when in Salzburg, we had to visit the Mirabell Gardens and not just for the Sound of…read moreMusic movie spots! Flowers and gardens were in bloom. The heatwave that hit the EU didn't deter visitors but it was still good that we visited in the morning before it got hotter or crowded. There were a few die hard SOM movie fans prancing around the Pegasus fountain before running up the steps, posing by the gladiator statues at the entrance or running through the Hedge Tunnel. The garden of dwarf statues was quieter and I wondered if visitors knew they had to cross a bridge (near the Pegasus Fountain) to gain access. The Mirabell Palace was somewhat open as we could really only climb the Angel Staircase but couldn't enter the hall where Mozart played or really anywhere else unfortunately. Still worth seeing. Lastly make sure to check out the Orangerie where the Panorama Museum was just relocated and opened in a very modern setting in June. The Sattler Panorama painting inside was a 360 degree view of Salzburg from the early 1800s. Make sure to also view the interactive terminals to do a side by side comparison between the panorama of now and the . Admission was included as part of the Salzburg Card.

I don't know why I felt like singing Do a Deer, a female deer, as soon as I entered and kept…read morelooking up at the trees! Famous for the filming of the Sound of Music, these gardens are beautiful. Definitely a must stop when in Salzburg. I was here in November and they were so well maintained. I can only imagine how beautiful they are in the spring and summer with all the flowers.

The biggest draw for us was the trick fountains versus the palace or the gazebo featured in the…read moreSound of Music. We took the bus to Hellbrunn and the stop was around 10 minutes walk to Hellbrunn. The bus was free since we had the Salzburg Pass. We obtained our timed entry tickets from the gift shop. Timed tickets were needed for the trick fountains versus the palace which could be entered anytime. We spent one hour for the walk through all the trick fountains and half an hour inside the palace. One caveat about the trick fountains, the first entry timeslot required waiting around the first fountain until enough other visitors arrived. The grounds team would then man the control boxes/valves and manually turn them on to control the fountains and the tricks. This repeated at each stop on the map. No automation just old school, hundreds of years old tech. Definitely take the time linger at each stop as some were elaborately designed fountains, grottoes, gardens, statues or water powered mechanical figures. The staff definitely caught us and many others with surprise squirts of water from hidden spouts in the ground, walls or ceiling (especially in the Neptune Grotto). The floating crown was another must experience grotto. The mechanical theatre, with its three stories of moving townsfolk figures (all powered by water), was the ending highlight of the walk. The Palace itself was well maintained and contained exhibits about the palace, fountains and the original owner the Prince Archbishop. The stuffed "unicorn" will catch your attention. Well worth taking the bus ride from Salzburg.

The honest draw here is the Sound of Music gazebo, and it does deliver, though it's worth knowing…read moreupfront that the pavilion was actually relocated to make it easier for the public to visit. So it's not technically where they filmed the scene, but it's the real gazebo on very beautiful grounds, and standing in front of it in Salzburg still feels cool The palace and park themselves are a bigger win: a 17th-century pleasure palace with enormous, well-maintained grounds that are genuinely gorgeous to wander on a good day. The trick fountains are a legitimate reason to come, although they were off on the day of our visit which was a bummer. If you're in Salzburg and have any interest at all in the film or just want an afternoon outside the old town, this is worth the trip.

We happened upon Kurgarten Berchtesgaden while walking around town and were so glad we did. It's a…read moresmall but really beautiful and peaceful garden with colorful flowers, lots of trees, benches, and a long water feature with fountains running through the middle. Everything was very well maintained and it was a nice quiet place to walk around, take pictures, or just sit for a little while. There's also a cute little outdoor book cabinet where you can take a book and sit and read. Definitely worth walking through if you're already exploring Berchtesgaden. It doesn't take long to see, but it's a lovely little stop. Pet friendly as well, so a nice place to walk through with your dog!

Absolutely beautiful place and definitely worth visiting while in the Berchtesgaden area! The lake…read moreis surrounded by mountains and the scenery is gorgeous. It's one of those places where the pictures really don't do the views justice. We took the boat across the lake as part of our visit, which is such a great way to experience the scenery and get to the different stops around the lake. The whole area is peaceful and beautiful and was definitely one of the highlights of our time in Berchtesgaden. I would absolutely recommend making time for Königssee if you're visiting the area! Pet friendly: Dogs are allowed on the Königssee boats, although the boat operator has specific rules/fees, so check those before visiting.

No trip to Berchtesgaden is complete without a boat ride through the Konigssee in Berchtesgaden…read moreNational Park. The Boat rides leave from the tip of the Konigsee, and can be taken to One or Two spots for a different affordable price. Its a beautiful ride through the lake in the mountains. The entire tour is in German so if you don't speak the language you won't really know what's going on, but no need to as the ride is a reward in itself. Be sure to get to the Docking stations early so that you have time to head out to St. Bartholomew etc. and Hike around. There is also a hofbrau haus directly next to the church to have a nice meal while you wait to return to Berchtesgaden. It's a must do while in this beautiful area of Germany. Take the ride, and listen to the amazing echo's of the trumpets off the mountain side. Highly recommended, and well worth the price.