Schilthorn Mountain
Alpine peak with revolving restaurant and James Bond views
Alpine peak above Mürren with the Piz Gloria revolving restaurant featured in a James Bond film; popular for cable-car panoramas, high‑alpine hikes and skiing in the Bernese Oberland.
Schilthorn at a Glance#
Website: https://www.schilthorn.ch
About Schilthorn#
The Schilthorn is a mountain in the Bernese Alps of Switzerland with a summit at about 2,970 metres, known for a revolving restaurant and panoramic alpine views. It is a prominent peak above the Lauterbrunnen valley and the car-free village of Mürren.
The summit complex includes the revolving Piz Gloria restaurant and a James Bond exhibition that commemorates the mountain’s use as a location in the 1969 film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. From the summit visitors get 360 degree views of major Bernese peaks including the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau.
The mountain developed as a tourist and sports destination in the mid-20th century with construction of the multi-stage cable car that links Stechelberg, Gimmelwald, Mürren, Birg and the summit. Facilities have since expanded to serve both summer hikers and winter skiers.
Geographically the Schilthorn towers above the Lauterbrunnen valley in the Bernese Oberland, with Mürren as the closest mountain village. The cable car route provides staged access from the valley floor to the summit viewing platforms.
- Elevation and panorama: Summit altitude is about 2,970 metres, with wide views across the Bernese Alps including the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau.
- James Bond connection: Famous as the filming location for the 1969 James Bond film ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’; the summit restaurant houses a Bond exhibition.
- Access and seasons: Accessible year-round by cable car from Stechelberg via Mürren and Birg; the site also forms part of local summer hiking and winter ski routes.
What to See#
- Piz Gloria (summit restaurant): A revolving restaurant and exhibition on the summit offering James Bond displays and panoramic glazing that faces the main alpine panorama.
- Birg viewing platform and Thrill Walk: The Birg intermediate station has a cliff-side viewing platform and the ‘Thrill Walk’ suspension walkway carved into the rock face.
- Stechelberg-Mürren-Schilthorn cable car: Cable car route from Stechelberg via Gimmelwald and Mürren, providing staged access with dramatic vertical gain and alpine views.
How to Get to Schilthorn#
Schilthorn is reached by mountain cable-car from the Lauterbrunnen/Mürren valley. Typical public routes: travel to Lauterbrunnen (by train from Interlaken), then take the aerial cable car from Lauterbrunnen to Grütschalp and the narrow‑gauge mountain train Grütschalp→Mürren, then the Mürren→Birg→Schilthorn cable‑car links up to the summit. Mürren’s cable‑car station is a short walk from the village centre. If driving, reach the Lauterbrunnen/Stechelberg valley by road (Interlaken is the nearest major town), park in Lauterbrunnen or Stechelberg and continue by the cable‑car/train chain.
Tips for Visiting Schilthorn#
- Take the earliest cable-car from Stechelberg (via Mürren) to be above the inversion layer and enjoy the clearest panoramic views of the Bernese Alps before tour buses arrive.
- If you want to avoid the busiest hours, aim for late afternoon returns-many day-trippers leave after lunch-while watching weather forecasts since visibility changes quickly at altitude.
- Plan a short detour to Birg on the way down to try the cliffside Thrill Walk and less-crowded viewpoints; many visitors only go straight to the Piz Gloria restaurant and miss these features.
- Buy cable-car tickets and the Piz Gloria exhibition entry in advance during summer and winter peak seasons to avoid long queues at the base stations.
Best Time to Visit Schilthorn#
Best visited in summer for hiking and clear panoramic views, or in winter for skiing-choose based on whether you want alpine hiking or winter sports.
Weather & Climate near Schilthorn#
Schilthorn's climate is classified as Tundra - Tundra climate with cold summers (peaking in August) and freezing winters (coldest in February). Temperatures range from -11°C to 10°C. Abundant rainfall (1145 mm/year), wettest in November, distributed fairly evenly throughout the year.
| Month | Comfort | Temp | Feels | Rain | Sky | Humidity | Wind | UV | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Poor | -10° - -5° | -16° | 96 mm | overcast | 87% | 6.9 m/s | 0.1 low | 8.9h |
| February | Poor | -11° - -5° | -16° | 92 mm | overcast | 87% | 6.6 m/s | 0.3 low | 10.2h |
| March | Poor | -10° - -5° | -15° | 99 mm | partly cloudy | 87% | 6.5 m/s | 0.6 moderate | 11.8h |
| April | Poor | -8° - -3° | -13° | 97 mm | partly cloudy | 84% | 6.0 m/s | 1.0 high | 13.4h |
| May | Poor | -3° - 2° | -6° | 96 mm | overcast | 81% | 5.6 m/s | 1.4 high | 14.8h |
| June | Poor | 0° - 6° | -2° | 96 mm | partly cloudy | 78% | 5.3 m/s | 1.7 very high | 15.6h |
| July | Acceptable | 3° - 9° | 3° | 94 mm | partly cloudy | 77% | 5.2 m/s | 1.8 very high | 15.2h |
| August | Acceptable | 4° - 10° | 4° | 96 mm | partly cloudy | 79% | 4.9 m/s | 1.5 high | 14.0h |
| September | Poor | 1° - 7° | 0° | 86 mm | partly cloudy | 81% | 5.6 m/s | 1.0 moderate | 12.4h |
| October | Poor | -2° - 3° | -5° | 91 mm | partly cloudy | 83% | 6.2 m/s | 0.5 moderate | 10.7h |
| November | Poor | -7° - -1° | -11° | 104 mm | overcast | 87% | 6.8 m/s | 0.2 low | 9.3h |
| December | Poor | -9° - -3° | -14° | 98 mm | overcast | 85% | 7.0 m/s | 0.1 low | 8.5h |
