Schloss Hellbrunn

Schloss Hellbrun is fun, mysterious, and a tiny bit cheesy. It really is beautiful though, and I spent all afternoon hiking the hilly trails around the lush green grounds. The owner of this Schloss (Palace in German) was an eccentric man back in powdered-wig times who built a bunch of tricky little fountains in the gardens to amuse and stump his guests. The ingenuity used really is impressive! All the fountains’ dancing and jumping figures are powered by gravity pulling the water down through channels, animating all manner of figures in charming and bizarre tableaux. There’s even a large stone table for dining outdoors that’s outfitted to startle one by squirting water up your bum or in your face. Very refreshing in the Summertime. Lastly, they have the actual gazebo where they filmed Liesel singing “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” in “The Sound of Music”. Yes, the entire Salzburg area is consumed with Mozart and “The Sound of Music”. They closed the gazebo to public entry a few years back when an 80-year-old lady fell off a bench and broke a bone while singing the aforementioned ditty. Trippy place, you should go!