Schloss Leopoldskron

Visitors call Schloss Leopoldskron dreamlike: an 18th century rococo castle outside central Salzburg, an exquisite jewel on a picturesque lake.

From its breathtaking perch the castle has a clear view on its past: birthplace of the Salzburg Festival, for instance, and film location for "The Sound of Music, “ when Maria and the children fell from their boat.

The Prince Archbishop of Salzburg, Leopold Anton Freiherr von Firmian, set out to build his family residence here in 1736. He died shortly after completion in 1744, but not before willing that his heart be buried beneath the chapel.

Years later, King Louis I of Bavaria famously celebrated the engagement of the future Empress Sissi to Emperor Franz Josef of Austria with the family here.

Today, you can view Schloss Leopoldskron from across the lake, unless you are staying in one of the hotel rooms or suites, each more memorable than the other, in this fairy tale palace.