Next occupation: Gay men and senior citizens?

So fear opponents of a plan to attract tourists to the famous von Trapp mansion by converting it into a 14-room bed-and-breakfast, to open on July 25.

"Finally, after decades, this wonderful place will be opened to the public," said tourism official Wilfried Haslauer last week as he announced the plan to convert the property. Refreshments and souvenirs will be sold, and the original furniture will be on display.

The mansion was immortalized by Rodgers & Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music, based on the story of the von Trapp family on their return to their homestead, seized by the Nazis and occupied by SS chief Heinrich Himmler until 1945.

"To be honest, I think we're just a little bit sick of The Sound of Music in general," said one protester to the Austrian News. "I think it's a strange marketing device for a city where Mozart was born — to push him into second place behind a Hollywood movie as a selling point."

An estimated 300,000 tourists already visit Salzburg every year, and the opinion of some townspeople is: That's plenty -- perhaps too many.

"The thought of busloads of blue-rinse old dears arriving here gives us all the willies," said one resident to Germany's Bavaria Radio. "A tourist attraction like this will make a parking nightmare for all other residents around here," added resident Andreas Braunbruck. "Nobody talked to us about it — we were the last to be consulted. We will fight this with all means at our disposal."

"Forget this nonsense about parking," countered gay local Juergen Greiner. "They are a conservative lot here and they think gay men are obsessed with The Sound of Music and will bear down on them and bring loose morals to the area."

Greiner added: "Which wouldn't be a bad thing, if you ask me."

(with wire reports)