Home Europe A Perfect Day Trip to Schilthorn, Switzerland

A Perfect Day Trip to Schilthorn, Switzerland

by Andy Vanr

Take a day trip to the Schilthorn, one of the best cable car journeys in Switzerland.

The mountain, with beautiful panoramic views of the Bernese Alps, was made famous in 1969 by Secret Agent 007 James Bond. Discover incredible mountain scenery, great hiking options and thrilling activities on this perfect day trip.

Snow-covered mountain side deep green valley
The stunning green valley below the peak of Schilthorn Mountain shines in the spring sunshine.

Schilthorn Day Trip Itinerary

  1. Take the Cable Car to the top of Schilthorn and admire the endless mountain views.
  2. Explore the Bond World 007 museum.
  3. Indulge in the lunch buffet at Piz Gloria, a revolving restaurant. 
  4. Take the cable car back down, exploring the attractions on the way.
  5. At Birg Station, experience the Thrill Walk, carefully navigating along the cliff pathway.
  6. At Murren, enjoy one of the short hikes, such as the Flower Trail.
  7. At Stechelberg base station, walk to the foot of Murrenbach waterfall, the tallest waterfall in Switzerland.

Schilthorn Map

Schilthorn Map

Piz Gloria – The Top of the Schilthorn

It is only a 30-minute cable car ride from the Stechelberg base station to the Piz Gloria station.  The station is at the Schilthorn peak, an elevation of 2970 meters. 

Observation platform station background
The Piz Gloria’s observation platform at the summit of Schilthorn offers views of many mountain peaks and valleys.
Person observation platform mountain ridges valleys snow closest
The Jungfrau, one of the highest summits in the Bernese Alps, is visible to the southeast from the summit of Schilthorn.

Head outdoors to the Skyline View platform.  Enjoy breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains.  On a clear day, you’ll be able to see over 200 mountain peaks, including the Jungfrau mountains.

Take just a few steps off the platform and touch the snow, even in the summer.  There is always snow here, 365 days a year.

James Bond at the Schilthorn

The Schilthorn played a starring role in the James Bond film, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.  The mountain top is the headquarters of Bond villain, Blofeld.

The Walk of Fame showcases the cast and crew members of the film. It starts just below the Skyline Viewing area and follows the ridge.

Person beside cardboard figure James Bond
Take a picture with George Lazenby aka Jame Bond star of 1969 On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
Snowy mountain ridge path with signs
Enjoy the Walk of Fame beside the Piz Gloria station and learn a bit about the cast and crew of the film.

Back inside, the Bond World 007 museum displays Bond memorabilia. It describes the production and history of the 1969 Bond film.  Test your skills in the helicopter attack simulator.

Even the washrooms have a James Bond theme.  Signs direct users to “Aim Like James”. Toilet flushing is accompanied by James Bond theme music.

Piz Gloria Restaurant

The revolving restaurant sits at the top of the station. The name Piz Gloria is the fictional mountain peak in the 1969 film. It is both the name of the restaurant and the cable car station.

The restaurant revolves a full circle in 45 minutes allowing diners ever changing views.  Enjoy your meal, the mountain views and the paragliders soaring in the distance.

Yellow paraglider above mountain peaks
Paragliders launch from high up the mountain side and land in the valley close to the Stechelberg station.
Person champagne flute window mountain scenery
The Piz Gloria restaurant revolves for an ever changing backdrop to the excellent meal.

The James Bond Brunch comes with complimentary champagne.  We highly recommend this buffet.

Be sure to make a lunch buffet reservation before coming up the mountain at the cable car ticket office. 

Distant mountains turning staircase on rock
Walk around the vertical cliffs below Birg Station.

Thrill Walk – Birg

Stop at Birg Station, elevation 2677 meters, for some more excitement.  The 200-metre pathway called the Thrill Walk sits below the station.  Navigate a series of “see-through” pathways that hang over the edge of the cliff.  Crawling through a chain link tube dangling over the abyss is not for the faint of heart.

Person crawling through wire mesh tunnel mountain background
Try crawling through the chain-link fence tube on the Birg Thrill Walk.
Person glass floored bridge on mountain rock face
The view is stunning in every direction, even through the glass below your feet.

If this sounds a bit too “thrilling”, admire the views from the Birg Skyline Walk. This platform extends out from the station providing more stunning panoramic views.

Murren

Visit the beautiful village of Murren, elevation 1638 meters.  Walk along Murren’s ridge road, exploring the shops and restaurants along the way.  Enjoy one of the short walks in the area, such as the Flower Trail.  On this 20-minute interpretive trail, learn about the more than 150 species of mountain flowers that grow in the area.  Try the Water Labyrinth, a race to get to the finish line without getting wet.

People walking street colourful buildings
Explore the colourful streets of Murren.

For a short hike, begin at Murren and walk downhill to the pretty town of Gimmelwald, about 30 minutes away.

Mountain meadow path building lower valley
The trails around Murren boast mountain flowers and incredible views.
Person on path through pasture from mountain village
A number of mountain hikes begin from the village of Gimmelwald.

Ride the cable car down to the floor of the Lauterbrunnen Valley and base station Stechelberg.

Lauterbrunnen Valley Waterfalls

The steep-sided valley is the ideal place to find incredibly high waterfalls.  The word Lauterbrunnen translates to “many fountains”.  The Lauterbrunnen Valley is home to an incredible 72 waterfalls.

Enjoy visiting one or all of these 3 stunning waterfalls, all located near the Schilthorn.

  1. Murrenbach Waterfall is one of the highest waterfall in Switzerland.  This freefalling waterfall, not a cascade as previously thought, plunges 417 meters.  It is located right beside Stechelberg cable car station.  Walk the short path from the parking lot for an up-close look at this amazing waterfall.
Water falls over tall steep cliff
The Murrenbach Waterfall is impressive. Its water is very cold as it is meltwater from the peaks of Birg and Schilthorn Mountains.
  1. Staubbach Falls, located near the village of Lauterbrunnen, plunges 297 meters.
  1. Trummelbachfalle is a series of 10 glacier-fed waterfalls.  Up to 20,000 litres of water per second drain from the nearby mountains, eroding the rock as it falls.  A tunnel lift takes visitors to a pathway to experience the powerful forces of water.
Village deep valley mountain walls surround
The village of Murren is snow-free in this May photo. In an average year the village receives more than 30 metres of snow.

Schilthorn – Know Before You Go

Where does the Schilthorn cable car start?  How do I get to the base station?

The Schilthorn cable car begins at the Stechelberg base station

By car, the drive from Interlaken to Stechelberg is 17 km.

By train, travel from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen, then take the bus to Stechelberg.  Another alternative from Lauterbrunnen is a cable car from Lauterbrunnen to Grutschalp and a train from Grutschalp to Murren.

People inside cable car
A series of short cable car rides move visitors from the parking lot at Stechelberg Station to the peak of the Schilthorn.

Where can I buy Schilthorn Tickets?

Purchase tickets for the Schilthorn cable car online at the Schilthorn website.

Tickets can also be purchased in person at the Stechelberg cable car station. 

Don’t forget to make reservations for lunch too!

What will the weather be like at Schilthorn?

A clear day is the best day at the top of Schilthorn. Check the Weather at Schilthorn website where there is also a Live Webcam.

Person clasped hands index fingers point ahead mountain background
Channel your inner James Bond at Piz Gloria, the cable car station at the top of the Schilthorn.
Billboard advertising Schilthorn station
The Piz Gloria station was used for the filming of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, the 6th James Bond film, released in 1969.


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