Sound of Music Trail: Sing-a-Long Hike to the Prettiest Meadow in Austria

Hiking along The Sound of Music trail to the meadow where Maria and the children had a picnic and sang Do-Re-Mi is a must in Austria not only for fans of the movie. The short hike from the Werfen village centre is full of surprises and rewards in the form of movie paraphernalia and magnificent Alpine views. This post covers everything you need to know for a successful hike.

Our hike to The Sound of Music meadow in Werfen ended an enjoyable anniversary weekend of exploring the filming locations of The Sound of Music in Salzburg.

Sound of Music Trail Basics

Trail Start	Werfen Tourist Info Office
Distance	+/- 1,4 km each way
Difference in Altitude	180 m
Walking Time	+/- 45 minutes each way

3 Reasons to Visit the Sound of Music Meadow

• You won’t easily find a more beautiful spot than the Sound of Music Meadow for a picnic in the Austrian Alps. The view of the Hohenwerfen Castle in the distance and the mountains rising up behind it is one-in-a-million.
• For an unforgettable day trip from Salzburg, you can visit the Werfen Ice Caves and the Hohenwerfen Castle before or after hiking the Sound of Music Trail.
• You can live out your Sound of Music fantasy of frolicking in the mountains like Maria, singing The Hills Are Alive for only the cows in the meadow to hear.

Sound of Music Trail Description

The trail starts in front of the Werfen tourist information office in the Marktstraße. If it’s open, you can go in to ask for directions. Otherwise, take a brochure outside.

Directions to Get on Your Way

With the tourism office on your left, continue down the street for a short distance until you get to a wide passage between two school buildings (Volksschule and Mittelschule). There is a visible trail sign on a wall in front of you.

Go left between the schools (opposite the museum) and up the monastery staircase directly in front of you. Turn right into Klostergasse when you reach the top.

This is the only part where we weren’t sure if we were on the right track after not seeing a sign for a while. But I stopped to ask a local walking her dog.

She told us to continue in Klostergasse, cross Struberstraße on the left and then go up the hill into Wolfengasse. You can’t miss the wooden walkthrough with the official trail sign.

From here, it’s almost impossible to get lost. There are more than enough route markers along the way. The trail gets steeper at times, but there’s always enough opportunity to rest while taking in the views, playing a music chime, or solving a Sound of Music puzzle.

If you reach a gate, you know you are near the world-famous Sound of Music meadow. Continue through it until you get to a road. The entrance to the meadow picnic area is a five-minute walk up the road.

What to Expect on the Sound of Music Meadow

The original filming location of the Sound of Music picnic where Maria starts teaching the Von Trapp children Do-Re-Mi is now a rustic picnic area enclosed by a wooden fence.

Standing in the Sound of Music meadow while taking in the spectacular scenery with the Hohenwerfen Castle and the Tennen Mountains in the background, it’s easy to imagine why this is perhaps the most famous of the movie’s filming locations.

Have fun taking pictures by positioning yourself running next to Maria and the kids. There’s a picture of them on a round window through which to take the photo.

You can also look through peepholes for epic views of the surrounding landscape. On our visit, live entertainment was provided by grazing cows and inquisitive horses who came to say hello.

For your picnic, there is a table and benches with some additional wooden seating. There are NO TOILETS, so don’t drink too much!

Tips for Your Hike

• Wear comfortable shoes. The Sound of Music trail is well looked after and no hiking boots are needed, but it’s still a nature trail.
• There’s a supermarket near the Werfen tourist office where you can buy drinks or snacks to enjoy on the Sound of Music meadow.
• If you want to picnic in style, order a picnic basket from the Werfen tourist office to take along on your hike. It includes food from the region and a picnic blanket and hiking poles to borrow.
• If you’re really pressed for time or unable to walk the entire Sound of Music trail, it’s possible to drive there. We saw two groups of people arrive by car or taxi. However, I won’t recommend it as it takes away most of the fun of hiking to the meadow.
• Schedule enough time to enjoy the hike and trail features and sights without having to rush. If you’re starting out in the afternoon, make sure you’ll get back to town before dark. In winter, it can be dark by 17:00 while it stays light until 22:00 on some summer nights.

Pin It for Later!