The Hills are Still Alive

I'm a huge fan of The Sound of Music and first visited Salzburg in May 2025 with my dear friend, Heather. We always loved The Sound of Music and, even when we were young, we re-enacted the scenes and sang all the songs, word for word. Heather even made me a paper mache hill for my 18th birthday with a little model of Maria on the top! We are now 61 years old and love the film as much as we ever did.

After all these years, we planned our trip to Salzburg with precision. We did The Sound of Music tour and saw all the filming locations. It was a fabulous trip - the highlight being the Schloss Leopoldskonstrasse Palace. We went for breakfast and was amazed to be able to wander around and see the famous horses and the gate to the lake. It was breathtaking. We always said we'd go back.

And so, in October 2025, we had tickets for the gala, which was holding a special celebration night to commemorate The Sound of Music's 60th Anniversary. The venue being at the Rock Riding School in Salzburg. The gala was that evening so it was worrying we wouldn't make it, but we did! We knew the children from the film and the real Von Trapp Singers would be appearing but we never thought we would see them in person. So, imagine our surprise when we walked into the entrance and saw all the children there, having their photos taken! But it was 7.50pm so I only got one photo with Duane Chase (Kurt).

The gala was fabulous and Nicholas Hammond (Friedrich) did a great job hosting. We stayed at the Schloss Leopoldskon Palace that night and re-created the scene where Georg and Maria declare their love. It was amazing to be there at night and just as beautiful. The next morning, we went for breakfast and was delightfully surprised to see Duane and Debbie Turner (Marta) in there, having breakfast. Although I would've liked to have gone to their table to say "Hello", I had to accept that they may not wish to have their privacy invaded, especially when they were having breakfast. We then went to where the seminar was happening, in which Nicholas spoke about working on The Sound of Music, but we didn't go in. However, we saw him at the door. He said "Hello, would you like a photo? I nodded as I was so overwhelmed. He was a true gentleman.

Heather and I then went into the Palace garden where we saw Duane, Debbie and Nicholas by the lake. Angela Cartwright (Brigitta) and Kym Karath (Gretl) were there too. There was a film crew scattered everywhere - cameramen, boom operators - as well as reporters. It was at this point that we realised they were making a documentary. We stood on the sidelines and had the privilege of watching The Sound of Music documentary being made. There was a very poignant moment during the documentary when Nicholas spoke affectionately of Charmian Carr and Heather Menzies.

It was fascinating to watch the documentary being made and to see the cast in the actual setting that was shown in the film. It was like a dream come true! Then the cast kindly allowed me to have photos taken with them.

All in all, it was a wonderful experience and I know that, from now on, watching The Sound of Music on TV will never be the same again.

We flew back on Saturday 25th October, just a quick visit, but unforgettable and will never be better. We plan to go back for the opening of the new Sound of Music Museum / Exhibition at the Hellbrun Palace in May 2026.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to Duane, Debbie, Nicholas, Angela, and Kym for taking time out of their busy schedules to pose for photos. I'd also like to thank the production staff and crew for allowing me to watch the documentary being made. You all made the experience so special for us. I'm hoping you all read this. xx

Catherine Smith, November 2025.

The Sound of Music 60th Anniversary Cast Reunion in Salzburg

Here is the delightful documentary and interview filmed with The Sound of Music cast on the day Catherine was visiting Salzburg. The video is courtesy of the Angela Bishop YouTube Channel.