Hills and thrills

IT’S not every day you find yourself being serenaded by a member of the Von Trapp family.

- ROBERT DALLING

Yet here I am, listening to Elisabeth, the daughter of Werner, one of the real-life seven children of the famous family.

Later, chatting to her between mouthfuls of pumpkin soup at Hotel Goiserermuhle, I got a rare insight into one of our most-loved films.

You find me touring Austria with SalzburgerLand on the 60th anniversary year of The Sound of Music, based on the true story of the Von Trapp singing group.

Despite six decades having passed since the movie's release, a third of the 200 tour guides who work in Salzburg specialise in it, and it is thought 350,000 people visit specifically because of Julie Andrews and co.

Next year, that number is likely to increase even further, with the long-awaited Sound of Music museum officially opening in the city.

But while most homes of famous blockbusters enjoy the tourism boost that comes with it, there's something intangibly different about Salzburg and its spectacular landscape of colourful trees and natural beauty that makes it far more than just a film set.