SCHILTHORN – PIZ
GLORIA
Cableway to Best Revolving Alps Views
Remaining one
of the most memorable sequences of the famous James Bond 007 spy movie series is the assault
on the snow capped alps peak fortress of villain Ernst Stavros Blofeld
in “On
Her Majesty’s Secret Service”. The film was shot on location
at Schilthorn in the Jungfrau region of central Switzerland’s Bernese
Oberland. The incredible views of the mighty Alps, probably the
best to be had of all the view stations, still attract mountain lovers
to this mountain top restaurant and viewing platform
ever since. The filming of the James Bond adventure was instrumental
in bringing one of the world’s wonders to life as well. The cable
car aerial lift to the planned Schilthorn restaurant had run out of money
when the Bond film
was
being planned. The Broccoli & Saltzman film company agreed to finance
the completion of the cable tramway in exchange for exclusive filming.
The rest as they say, is movie, and spy history and a new Bond exhibit to celebrate this filmic past has opened at Schilthorn (see Bond World Schilthorn).
Whether
one comes to Switzerland with skis or without, winter or summer, one
of the most incredible
views
of the Alps can be had from Schilthorn with its Piz Gloria revolving
restaurant at 9748 feet altitude. The 360 degree view is of the Jungfrau,
Monch and Eiger
triplet of Alps mountain peaks, just across the deep valley. The Eiger
was made famous by its own movie “The Eiger Sanction” with
Clint Eastwood. The views in the other direction are of the Bernese and
Valais
Alps.
In clear
weather
one can see as far as Mont Blanc in France and the Black Forest of Germany.
The restaurant serves ala carte dishes and a popular James Bond 007 breakfast
buffet until 10:30 am. While not always true and a matter of luck, the best
Alps viewing weather is often in the morning.
Schilthorn
is reached by two routes; the cable car from Stechelberg with
four separate cable rides and about a half hour in all from Stechelberg
through Gimmelwald. Or from from Mürren, the carless village
on the ledge above Lauterbrunnen, reached via Murrenbahn cable and
cog train, taken directly opposite the Lauterbrunnen station.
Mürren is the highest
ski resort area in the Bernese Oberland. The Schilthornbahn ticket
cost
is 96 Swiss Francs for adults and 46
for
children for the full distance. The
fare is half-price with a Swiss Pass (see Swiss
Rail Pass Value). To
save a little more money, there is
a discount for early morning departures until
8:55 or late day trips departing Stechelberg after 3:25. Or a
Rail Pass is valid on the Murrenbahn, and the cable from the Mürren
station is about a third the price as from the bottom. Stay over in Murren
for the view of sunrise on the Eiger when the weather cooperates.
Schilthorn
- Piz Gloria is open all year except for periods of cable maintenance.
Tickets can be purchased at any rail station. If one mountain peak
isn’t
enough the Jungfraubahn goes up through the mountains to the highest
rail station in the world, the Jungfraujoch, connecting from Lauterbrunnen
to Klein Scheidegg (see Jungfraujoch
- Scenic Rail to Top of Alps).
Or for a cheaper trip to an Alps view restaurant the funicular cog railway
from Mürren to Allmendhubel at 6,273 feet
is only 12 Swiss Francs, though not as impressive as the Bond spy
view mission to Schilthorn © Bargain
Travel Europe
Find best travel deals in Interlaken Bernese Oberland
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Schilthorn
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These articles are copyrighted and the sole property of Bargain Travel Europe and WLPV, LLC. and may not be copied or reprinted without permission. Photos courtesy Schilthorn Cableway, Ltd Interlaken
SEE ALSO:
SHERLOCK
HOLMES MUSEUM - MEIRINGEN
OLYMPIA
BOB SLED RUN - ST MORITZ-CELERINA
GLACIER
3000 CABLE - LES DIABLERETS
