Schilthorn - is a visit to Piz Gloria 2024 worthwhile?

8 Schilthorn Highlights

• With the Piz Gloria, the 007 Walk of Fame, the Bond Cinema and Bond World, you can immerse yourself in the world of the charming secret agent on the Schilthorn
• The Schilthorn cable car runs via Gimmelwald, Mürren and Birg to the 2973 m high mountain
• Visitors reach the summit of the Schilthorn in 32 min from Stechelberg with four different cable cars
• With a gradient of 88%, the Diretissima is one of the steepest pistes
• Dizzying heights and impressive views await you on the Thrill Walk at the Birg intermediate station
• The revolving restaurant Piz Gloria offers a 360° panoramic view of the Swiss mountain world
• In the hiking area around the Schilthorn, in addition to numerous hiking trails, a lush flora awaits nature seekers
• The lively jackdaws are happy to demonstrate their flying skills and provide for the best entertainment

In addition to the prominent peaks of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, other well-known mountain peaks of the Bernese and Valais Alps are clearly visible. On the other side are the vast mountain ranges of the Jura massif and the blue shining Lake Thun.

Sights at the Schilthorn

The most popular destination on the Schilthorn is clearly the Piz Gloria revolving restaurant. Various walks help visitors to get a little closer to the overwhelming mountain panorama. A head for heights is a prerequisite here in most cases.

The most important sights on the Schilthorn are:

• Piz Gloria summit restaurant
• Viewing terrace Swiss Skyline
• Bond World on the Schilthorn
• Bond Cinema Schilthorn
• Walk of Fame
• View Lounges
• Skyline Top Shop
• Skyline Walk at Birg
• Thrill Walk at Birg

Summit Restaurant Piz Gloria

The filming of the 007 film "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" took place on the Schilthorn between October 1968 and May 1969. The villain Blofeld used the newly built revolving restaurant as his base. In the process, the restaurant was given the name "Piz Gloria" in the film, which it kept after the filming was completed.

The circular mountain restaurant has glazing all around. Two separately switchable circular rings, each 2.5 m wide, rotate around a 7.5 m diameter interior area. In this way, all guests get a mountain view, as the interior of the restaurant rotates once through 360° in 45 min.

In the restaurant Piz Gloria there are different culinary combination offers. You benefit from a reduced price if you combine the train ride with a culinary experience when booking

• Schilthorn Piz Gloria Zvieri
• Schilthorn Piz Gloria James Bond Lunch
• Schilthorn Brunch

Viewing Terrace Swiss Skyline

Directly adjacent to the revolving restaurant is an observation terrace at 2970 meters above sea level with a view of the Swiss Skyline. More than two hundred mountain peaks can be seen in all-round view from here. These include not only the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, but also the Tschingelhorn, Mont Blanc and many more. Right next to the restaurant, a wonderful James Bond-style photo opportunity is also waiting for you.

• Schilthorn ticket from Stechelberg or Mürren

Viewing Terrace Swiss Skyline

Directly adjacent to the revolving restaurant is an observation terrace at 2970 meters above sea level with a view of the Swiss Skyline. More than two hundred mountain peaks can be seen in all-round view from here. These include not only the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, but also the Tschingelhorn, Mont Blanc and many more. Right next to the restaurant, a wonderful James Bond-style photo opportunity is also waiting for you.

• Schilthorn ticket from Stechelberg or Mürren

Bond World on the Schilthorn

Bond World provides you with fascinating details and background information on the shooting of the James Bond film on the Schilthorn with George Lazenby as 007. It lets you immerse yourself directly in the world of the secret agent. You will take part in a tour through seven key scenes of the film. Of course, you can also take a look at the original screenplay. You will also learn interesting background stories. Did you know, for example, that:

• a 150-strong team was deployed for the filming?
• Bond Girl Diana Rigg couldn't ski, so she was strapped to a sled for the close-ups?
• Bernhard Russi was used as a double for some challenging ski runs?

We won't tell you any more secrets at this point. After all, it should still be worth your while to visit this fascinating world. But this much is still to be revealed: For your next family trip, Bond World is definitely worth a visit.

Bond Cinema

The Bond Cinema Schilthorn shows images of special stunts, mountain shots and key scenes from the film on a big screen. Impressive wide-screen footage shows razor-sharp images of the popular Bond film "On Her Majesty's Secret Service". After the excitement you experienced in Bond World, you can now have a pleasantly calm time processing the experience.

The curved big screen is 12 meters wide. It shows various scenes and stunt shots from the James Bond classic. In between, you will be taken back to the magnificent surrounding mountains. So you are gently reminded that you are not in an exciting action movie, but in the middle of the Bernese Alps.

007 Walk of Fame

in 2015, a complementary Walk of Fame was erected for the James Bond film. It is the world's first 007 Walk of Fame. At its summit, the walkway pays tribute to the actors, stunt performers and other contributors to the film "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." Now fifteen stelae, each contains an information panel with a photo and an explanation of the role in the film. A personal message complements the signature and a handprint in steel.

Among those honored are:

• George Lazenby
• Jenny Hanley
• Stefan Zurich
• Bernhard Russi
• Sylvana Henriques
• Terence Mountain
• Willy Bogner
• Gabriele Ferzetti
• John Glen
• Vic Armstrong
• Catherine Shell
• Erich Glavitza
• Eddie Stacey
• Helena Ronee
• Terry Ackland-Snow

As a special event, quite a few of the honorees were flown in by helicopter in 2015 to dedicate the Walk of Fame and take handprints.

Please note that the Walk of Fame may be closed depending on wind and weather conditions.

View Lounges

At the top of the Schilthorn ridge, three wooden structures have been erected to ward off the wind in a similar way to beach chairs. Up to four people at a time can enjoy the view from different vantage points. The View Lounges are located somewhat away from the big hustle and bustle on the Schilthorn behind the Walk of Fame.

Skyline Top Shop

A pleasantly sized store has been set up in the summit building, offering a mix of sportswear and souvenirs. Whether it's forgotten headgear, jackets, T-shirts or umbrellas and backpacks; you'll find almost everything here. Often, even these items remind you of the James Bond movie. Of course, Swiss watches and the legendary pocket knives must not be missing in the assortment. A special highlight is the umbrella with a photo of the revolving restaurant on the Schilthorn with the glaring sun in the background.

Skyline Walk on the Schilthorn

The Birg midway station is located at 2677 meters above sea level on a rocky massif. Here you change trains for the last time before boarding the final gondola to the Schilthorn. In addition to the large sun terrace at the Bistro Birg, there are two other attractions here: the Skyline Walk and the Thrill Walk. A short - or even a slightly longer - stopover is definitely worthwhile here.

The Skyline Walk leads from the Bistro as an extension of the terrace onto a platform. Here you get a magnificent view over the entire mountain panorama of the Bernese Alps. The construction consists mainly of steel as well as a floor made of gratings. With its angular shape, it blends in almost seamlessly with the angular rocky landscape. If you're not afraid of heights enough for the Thrill Walk, this is your best chance to get a great photo of the Swiss Skyline.

Thrill Walk on the Schilthorn

The Thrill Walk starts right at the Birg train station and leads along the rock face on a path that is about 200 meters long. It runs underneath the platform and the cable car and has special sections every now and then. So there are sections where you have the option to balance on a rope. Of course, there is also the option to skip the balancing act and pass this section on the fixed grid instead

There are also short sections with a glass floor waiting for you, which should increase the thrill a bit more. Last but not least, there is a section that kids will especially love. In a tunnel made of a steel mesh, they have the opportunity to crawl through the construction above the abyss.

Being free from giddiness will undoubtedly help here. If you're not quite sure, you can always abandon the trail and return to the starting point. Otherwise, just focus on the magnificent view and the dizzying heights should soon be forgotten

Activities on the Schilthorn

The Schilthorn is a popular destination for excursions all year round. In summer, in addition to many hiking trails, there is always the opportunity for a paragliding flight. This is also possible in summer as well as in winter. For skiing, most of the visitors drive up to the Birg, because the descent from the Schilthorn with a slope of 75% is not for the faint-hearted

Among the most popular activities are:

• Hiking (in winter also with snowshoes)
• Paragliding
• Skiing

Hiking on the Schilthorn

At least 14 designated hiking trails are popular on the Schilthorn. One of the most popular hiking trails is the ascent from the Birg middle station to the summit. The difficult trail covers about 350 meters in altitude and rewards you with a view of more than 200 mountain peaks

Also very popular is an easy hike that leads from the Birg to the Grauseeli. Especially beautiful here is the reflection of the mountains in this small mountain lake. So keep your camera ready and hope for a windless minute

In winter, winter hikes are possible between December and April, which are easier or harder to walk depending on the amount of snowfall. For some trails you will need snowshoes to cope with the deep snow.

Paragliding

The Schilthorn is very popular with paragliders, which is hardly surprising given the view. Where James Bond has already been in action, this leisure activity is particularly fun. Take-off is from the Schilthorn at Piz Gloria in the direction of Stechelhorn. The pilots have to pay special attention to the cable cars. Since the launch site is located in a high alpine environment, it is an advantage if you have a good level of fitness for this tandem flight.

Skiing on the Schilthorn

The ski area on the Schilthorn is already famous because of the almost 16 km long Skicross Inferno run, which stretches all the way to Lauterbrunnen. In the upper part of the Schilthorn, the ski area includes the area between the Birg middle station (2677 m above sea level) and the Obere Hubel (2439 m above sea level).

Skiing area Birg-Schilthorn

The skiing area Birg-Schilthorn starts at the middle station of the Schilthorn cable car. Due to the certainty of snow at this altitude, skiing here is possible until the end of April. The steepest downhill slope in the Jungfrau area is the Direttissima slope. It is 400 m long and has a gradient of 88%. Nearby there is another black piste called "Bond". The blue piste "Engetal" is available as an easy slope. The Riggli four-seater chairlift takes all skiers back to Birg to the middle station of the Schilthornbahn.

Skicross Inferno

At 15.8 km, the Skicross Inferno run is the longest run on the Schilthorn. It overcomes 2000 meters in altitude and has been the venue for the largest amateur race in skiing since 1928. The start is just below the Schilthorn. The course first leads to the Obere Hubel. The finish is in the valley near Lauterbrunnen. This route is particularly demanding. Nevertheless, it may also be skied outside the official ski cross race

Skiing at the Obere Hubel

Blue, red and two black slopes lead down from the Obere Hubel. The chairlifts Muttleren and Kandahaar bring the winter sports enthusiasts back

Skyline Snowpark

The Skyline Snowpark is located near the Obere Hubel (2439 m above sea level) at the Kandahar chairlift. The snowpark is for freeskiers and snowboarders. Here you can practice your jumps on pink obstacles. Over 800 m along the slope there are three lines for freestylers with about 40 jibs and jumps. On Wednesday afternoons, a shaper from the snowpark is on site as a coach between about 14:00 and 16:00. Joost Friedl has experience as a coach and meets with interested people at the chill area. Participation is free of charge and possible without pre-registration.

Events on the Schilthorn

There is always something to experience on the Schilthorn.

• Music events take place at Schilthorn at irregular intervals. These include the Country High Line Dance Party and the Panoramica dance events with Kellerkind next to the Birg station.
• At Piz Gloria every visitor can also plan his own event. Your birthday will be rewarded with a free ride from Mürren or Stechelberg to the Schilthorn and back. For this you have to show your ID at the ticket office
• In August the Inferno Triathlon takes place. This extremely challenging event starts in Thun and takes the athletes up to the summit of the Schilthorn
• In addition to the Inferno Triathlon, there is also an Inferno Ski Race. This race starts just below the small Schilthorn and leads all the way to Lauterbrunnen. Good skiers manage to cover the demanding distance in about 20 min. The winners even manage the race in less than 15 min.

Schilthorn: location and approach

The entire Schilthornbahn facility is located in the territory of the political municipality of Lauterbrunnen. The cable car Stechelberg-Mürren-Schilthorn (LSMS) leads in four stages to the summit of the Schilthorn

Departing from Stechelberg, the gondola passes successively through the intermediate stations of Gimmelwald, Mürren and Birg before reaching the summit at Schilthorn. At each of the intermediate stations you change to another gondola, which is usually not long in coming. The Schilthornbahn takes 32 min for the whole way. The trip from Stechelberg takes place every half hour between 07:25 and 15:55.

How to get to the Schilthornbahn valley station

The Schilthornbahn is very easy to reach from Interlaken by public transport in about 50 min. From Interlaken Ost, the Bernese Oberland Bahn BOB runs every half hour to Lauterbrunnen. From here you continue with the Postauto line 141 to Stechelberg, where the stop is directly at the valley station. The timetables of train, bus and cable car are coordinated

If you come by car, you also drive via Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen to Stechelberg. There are plenty of parking spaces right next to the valley station in Stechelberg. And by "numerous" we are talking about 1500 parking spaces.

The history of the creation of the Schilthorn Railway

The first three stages of the Schilthornbahn between Stechelberg and Birg were completed as early as 1965. The official opening of the last stage from Birg to the summit of the Schilthorn took place in 1968 after the completion of the filming of the James Bond film "On Her Majesty's Secret Service". For the film itself, the railroad line and the Piz Gloria were already used.

The stages of the Schilthorn Railway

The Schilthornbahn runs as an aerial cableway in these successive sections from Stechelberg to the Schilthorn. The sections contain three different railroad systems at the same time.

1. Stechelberg via Gimmelwald to Mürren
2. Mürren to Birg
3. Birg to Schilthorn

Lower section

This lower section of the railroad has the peculiarity of being V-shaped. Stechelberg is situated at 867 m above sea level. The first section of the cable car climbs 419 meters to Gimmelwald up to 1286 m above sea level. Gimmelwald is car-free and can therefore only be reached by Schilthorn cable car or on foot. The train cable is deflected at an acute angle in Gimmelwald and covers a further 352 vertical meters to Mürren. The bottom and top stations of Mürren are located at 1638 meters above sea level outside the center of the car-free village of Mürren. From Lauterbrunnen, a mountain railroad provides additional access to the village of Mürren and a funicular railroad runs from Mürren to Allmendhubel. Since passengers have to change trains in Gimmelwald, the lowest section consists of two travel sections.

Middle section

The Birg bottom and top station takes its name from the strikingly towering Birg rock head and stands at an altitude of 2677 m. The section of the railroad between Mürren and Birg is a two-track reversible aerial tramway that is executed via two track ropes. It covers an altitude difference of 1039 meters.

Upper section

The last section of the aerial tramway is a single-track reversible aerial tramway, which is executed with two carrying ropes. It climbs 293 meters in altitude over a length of 1766 meters and ends at the top station on the Schilthorn at 2970 meters above sea level

Opening hours of the Schilthornbahn

The Schilthornbahn operates all year round. In normal operation, the lifts run between 7:25 am and 5:55 pm up to the Schilthorn. Mürren is reached from 6:00 in the morning until 01:00 at night. The cable car installations are in revision for one to several weeks in spring and autumn. During this time there is a revision timetable. The timetables may be limited during storms and very bad weather.

New plans for the 20XX project

The Schilthornbahn has been in full operation since 1967. At that time, it represented an important milestone in the mechanical development of the Alps as a combination of public transport (primarily for Gimmelwald and Mürren) and tourist railroad. At the same time, it was regarded as a work of superlatives in international comparison of aerial ropeway construction. In the meantime, there are plans for a fundamental redesign of the Schilthornbahn.

The most important innovations include:

• Stechelberg and Mürren will be directly connected
• The total travel time to the Schilthorn will be reduced from 32 min to 22 min
• The inclined length of currently 935 m will be reduced to 5585 m
• Instead of 400 passengers per hour, 800 passengers per hour can be transported
• Luggage and goods will be transported fully automatically
• The Schilthorn can be reached 365 days a year in the future
• In the lowest section, a classic aerial tramway with 85-seater cabins will run between Stechelberg and Mürren
• The sections Mürren to Birg and Birg to Schilthorn will each receive single-track Funifor aerial ropeways
• The Funifor system allows compact station construction as well as lower supporting masts and has high wind stability.

Access from Stechelberg to Gimmelwald will remain.

The 20XX project will be implemented in partial stages. The overall completion is planned for the winter season 2025/26.

Restaurants on the Schilthorn

In addition to the famous summit restaurant Piz Gloria, there is a popular bistro here at 2677 meters above sea level. The Piz Gloria received an extension as part of the summit expansion between 1985 and 1992

Summit restaurant Piz Gloria, the revolving restaurant on Schilthorn

The revolving restaurant rotates 360 degrees with two rings, offering a panoramic view of the mountains while you dine. The Bernese Alps offer as a special highlight the triumvirate Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. On the other side, the view goes over Lake Thun, the Jura massif and the romantic Mittelland.

The panorama restaurant has 408 seats:

• Inner ring: 192 seats at 24 tables
• Outer ring: 216 seats at 36 tables

Service is available in the restaurant, which is open daily during the opening hours of the Schilthorn cable car. The menu includes a wide range of snacks, salads, main courses and desserts.

• You can book the popular Schilthorn Brunch at the Schilthorn daily for Piz Gloria. The brunch takes place until 14:00 and offers the possibility to visit the sights on the Schilthorn afterwards.
• From 14:00 there is the Piz Gloria Zvieri. Cheese and freshly cut meat will be served on a platter. The cutting of the meat on an original Berkel cutting machine is part of the pleasant ritual.
• At the Piz Gloria James Bond Lunch you will also be treated to culinary delights

Skyline Take Away on the Schilthorn

The Skyline Take Away is located inside the summit building and offers take-away meals. The room can also be used and rented for standing receptions or presentations and is designed for a maximum of 150 people. In addition to snacks, you will also find hot and cold drinks. The takeaway is particularly suitable for visitors who want to experience as many of the sights on the Schilthorn as possible in a short time

Bistro Birg

The large sun terrace offers a direct view of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. At the popular burger station you can put together your own hamburger or hot dog. On the terrace there is a Quick Corner with grill and wok station. The legendary Thrill Walk Crème Slice is a popular dessert you won't want to miss. The restaurant's indoor dining area also serves. The bistro is open daily during the opening hours of the Schilthornbahn. Musical events also take place here from time to time.

Schilthornhütte (at the Obere Hugel)

The Schilthornhütte stands on a rock in the Engetal, which runs down from the Schilthorn. In summer it is therefore in the middle of the hiking area and in winter in the middle of the ski area. From the Schilthornbahn middle station Birg you need about 40 min by foot. The chairlifts Muttleren or Kandahar lead to the hut in winter

In addition to a sun terrace, the mountain restaurant also has a spacious dining room. The Schilthornhütte offers meals as well as overnight stays in a mattress dormitory. Up to 25 people can find space there with their own hut sleeping bag. The mattress camp is located on the upper floor, the toilets and showers are located on the first floor. Sleeping bags can also be rented.

In summer, overnight stays are possible between June and September, in winter from December to April. According to the weather conditions, these times may change. Telephone and internet work through the mobile network.