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with fat buttercups and pink clover. Bees hum over them, and the clang of cowbells rings through a valley of spruce forest. I’m sitting in the meadows above Werfen, an hour’s drive south of the regional capital of Salzburg, breathing in the dewy, pine-fresh morning air. I can make out the small Alpine market town far below: with its pastel-painted chalets and bauble-domed church, it fits neatly into the picture. It’s a view that makes me want to skip through the pastures with careless abandon, to yodel out loud. A view so perfectly etched, it’s like a film set. Hollywood thought so, too, as


this is where the picnic scene was filmed in the 1965 blockbuster The Sound of Music. And there is indeed a drop of golden sun as I walk along the gentle, hour-long Sound of Music Trail from Werfen to Gschwandtanger, an Alpine meadow above the town. I’m hiking with local tourist office manager Alexandra Hager, who tells me it’s been designed to shine a light on Werfen’s big-screen connections and


Te sound of nature A


s the first rays of summer warm the Austrian Alps, the pastures are carpeted


cinematic beauty. But unlike the filming locations in Salzburg, which tend to be crowd favourites, up here it’s utterly peaceful. “It’s one of a kind,” says


Alexandra. “I like to get up to Gschwandtanger early, when the air is fresh and the sun comes through the fog.” The next morning, sunrise makes


the Tennen Mountains blush in purple pinks. Though not especially high in Alpine terms, capping out at around 7,875ſt, these peaks are as wild as they come. They’re riddled with caves, crevices and sinkholes, and at the top is a karst plateau that’s redolent of the last Ice Age. “There are many old paths on


the mountains, but they aren’t all marked — knowledge is handed down over generations,” says head of mountain rescue Herbert Deutinger, who I meet in the tourist office where I’m renting equipment for the day. Cut into the mountainside, the trail is barely more than a boot- width wide and includes sections of via ferrata. Heart racing, I pop on my helmet and clip onto the fixed cable. To my right, cliffs fall to the valley below. Though not particularly


Te Travel Guide - brought to you by APL Media • Wednesday 17 September 2025


In Werfen, ice caves burrow below plateaus and the mountains rise rugged and ready for Hollywood. Words: Kerry Walker


technical, the two-hour climb uphill is stiff, exposed and relentless. There’s no shade and the sun beats down as I grapple with rock, spider across boulders and skitter up ladders. When I reach the plateau, I follow cairns and red-white-red markings evoking the Austrian flag across the pale limestone. There isn’t another soul up here; the silence is broken only by the shrill whistle of a golden eagle. From the grassy ridge of 7,485ſt Hochkogel mountain, the view upstages anything I’ve seen so far, reaching deep into the Salzach Valley and over to the ragged Hochkönig massif. The karst plateau is the cake-


topper for the world’s largest accessible ice caves, Eisriesenwelt (meaning ‘world of ice giants’), where I head the next morning for a guided tour. A blast of cold air hits me at their gaping entrance. It might be summer in the valley, but up here, it’s forever winter.


This article first appeared in the Alpine Guide, distributed with the May 2024 edition of National Geographic Traveller (UK). nationalgeographic.com/travel


VISITORS TO WERFEN MAY RECOGNISE THE MEADOWS FROM THE SOUND OF MUSIC/GETTY


Wandering the waterfront


Tradition and innovation combine in Hastings, a historic port town on the East Sussex coast. Words: Hannah Summers


M


ention Hastings and people still refer to the battle of 1066, which is a shame


given the town has changed so much — since the 11th century, certainly, but over the past decade, too. Like many British seaside resorts, Hastings and its neighbour, St Leonards-on-Sea, had their heyday in the Victorian era before falling into a period of decline. Their revivals in recent years have been huge and heartening. These are places packed with independent shops, restaurants, pubs and boutique hotels, so many that a week-long visit would hardly even scratch the surface.


WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO EXPLORE? One of Hastings’ biggest attractions is the lightbulb-garlanded Old Town, with its timber-framed pubs and antiques shops. Squeeze into Roberts Rummage to browse ceramics and the treasures of the £1 box before strolling down to The Stade.


Hastings is proudly home to one of Britain’s oldest fishing fleets, and you can still catch colourful wooden boats being hauled onto this stretch of shingle come late aſternoon. Just behind are the ‘net shops’ — tall black timber huts used for fishing net storage since the 1830s, some of which are so unique in design they’ve been granted Grade II-listed status. From here, it’s mere paces to the rotating exhibitions at Hastings Contemporary gallery. Make time for a session at


Samphire Sauna on Hastings Pier — it has great sunset views and direct access to the beach below for a dip. If you’re keen to venture further, windswept Pett Level beach is six miles away and ideal for a low-tide dog walk or rockpool splash. Those with time to spare can walk there from the Old Town, following rolling coastal paths. The surrounding hills are dotted with vineyards — Tillingham is the best known, but a tour with Vine


BAYTE RESTAURANT OFFERS A SEASONAL MENU/STEVEN PAINTER


& Country will take you to local favourites such as Charles Palmer and Oastbrook, where you’ll sit down for guided tastings among the vines.


WHERE’S GOOD FOR THE CATCH OF THE DAY? The food scene here extends to some excellent options in St Leonards, so leave time for both towns. In Hastings, you can grab fresh seafood by the fishing huts on The Stade. For a sit-down meal, try the fish and chips at Maggie’s, a long-standing cafe with spindle- back chairs and swooping seagull views. The


THE SEAFRONT IN HASTINGS/GETTY


Crown pub is the spot for a locally brewed pint, while further along the seafront, in St Leonards, you’ll find Half Man Half Burger. The pioneers behind the cool joint took a punt settling in this once rundown town in 2015, but dozens of restaurants have followed. Bayte is a recent arrival, with a seasonal menu of fish and pasta dishes. For breakfast, try out a Sleeper Bagel — crammed with everything from salt beef to salmon.


WHERE ARE THE BEST PLACES TO STAY? The Old Rectory is a 14th-century property turned boutique B&B,


close to the Old Town. It has its own spa, while the rooms have been decorated with French-chic furniture and chandeliers. If you don’t mind self-catering


and the 10-minute taxi ride, you can try the Looking Glass Lodge in Fairlight. Sleek and contemporary, the picturesque glass-fronted cabin is set in a patch of ancient woodland in the High Weald, which is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.


This article first appeared in the May 2025 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK). nationalgeographic.com/travel


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