Schilthorn - is a visit to Piz Gloria worth it in 2025?

8 Highlights at the Schilthorn

• The revolving restaurant Piz Gloria offers a 360° panoramic view of the Swiss Alps
• The cast and crew of "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" have left their mark on the Walk of Fame
• The Schilthorn cable car travels over Gimmelwald, Mürren, and Birg to the 2,973 m high mountain
• Visitors can reach the Schilthorn summit in 32 minutes from Stechelberg via four different cable cars
• With an 88% incline, the Diretissima is one of the steepest slopes
• At the Thrill Walk near the Birg mid-station, dizzying heights and stunning views await you
• The Schilthorn hiking area offers not only numerous trails but also vibrant flora for nature lovers
• The lively jackdaws happily show off their flying skills, providing great entertainment

Besides the distinctive peaks of Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau, you can clearly see other well-known summits of the Bernese and Valais Alps. On the other side lie the extensive Jura mountain ranges and the blue-glimmering Lake Thun.

Attractions at the Schilthorn

The most popular destination on the Schilthorn is undoubtedly the revolving restaurant Piz Gloria. Several walks help visitors get even closer to the breathtaking mountain panorama. A good head for heights is usually required here.

The main attractions at the Schilthorn are:

• Summit restaurant Piz Gloria
• Skyline View Platform observation terrace
• Walk of Fame
• View Lounges
• Skyline Top Shop and Skyline Take Away
• Skyline Walk at Birg
• Thrill Walk at Birg

Summit Restaurant Piz Gloria

The filming of the 007 movie "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. The restaurant was named "Piz Gloria" in the film and kept that name after filming concluded.

The circular mountain restaurant is surrounded by glass all around. Two separately switchable circular rings, each 2.5 m wide, revolve around a 7.5 m diameter inner area. This design ensures that every guest enjoys a mountain view, as the restaurant's interior completes a full 360° rotation every 45 minutes.

Piz Gloria offers various culinary package deals. You benefit from a discounted price when you book the cable car ride combined with a dining experience.

Swiss Skyline Observation Terrace

Right next to the revolving restaurant is an observation terrace at 2970 m above sea level with views over the Swiss Skyline. Over two hundred mountain peaks can be seen in all directions from here, including not only Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau but also Tschingelhorn, Mont Blanc, and many more. Just beside the restaurant, a fantastic photo opportunity awaits you in James Bond style.

Swiss Skyline Viewing Terrace

Directly adjoining the revolving restaurant is a viewing terrace at 2970 m above sea level, offering a panoramic view of the Swiss Skyline. From here, you can see over two hundred mountain peaks in every direction. This includes not only the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau, but also the Tschingelhorn, Mont Blanc, and many more.

Bond World at Schilthorn

Bond World gives you fascinating insights and background information about the filming of the James Bond movie on Schilthorn featuring George Lazenby as 007. You'll dive right into the world of the secret agent. You'll participate in a tour through seven key scenes from the film as if you were part of the shoot. Of course, a look at the original script is also included. Plus, you’ll get interesting behind-the-scenes stories. Did you know, for example, that:

• a team of 150 people was involved in 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 descents?

We won't reveal any more secrets here. After all, it should still be worth your while to visit this fascinating world. But here’s a hint: the Bond World is perfect for your next family outing.

Bond Cinema

The Bond Cinema Schilthorn showcases special stunts, mountain scenes, and key moments from the film on a large screen. Stunning wide-angle shots present sharp images from the beloved Bond film "On Her Majesty's Secret Service". After the excitement you've experienced in Bond World, you can now process everything in a tranquil environment.

The curved screen measures 12 m wide. It displays various scenes and stunts from the James Bond classic. In between, you'll be transported into the breathtaking surrounding mountain scenery, gently reminding you that you're not just in an exciting action movie, but in the heart of the Bernese Alps.

Walk of Fame

In 2015, a Walk of Fame for the film "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" was created. The path honours actors, stunt performers, and other contributors at the summit. Fifteen pillars each feature an information panel with a photo and an explanation of their role in the film. A personal message accompanies the signature and a steel handprint.

The honourees include:

• George Lazenby
• Jenny Hanley
• Stefan Zürcher
• 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, many of the honoured guests were flown in by helicopter in 2015 to inaugurate the Walk of Fame and leave their handprints.

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 built that shield against the wind like beach chairs. Each offers seating for up to four people at once in different directions to enjoy the view. The View Lounges are tucked away from the main bustle of the Schilthorn, located just behind the Walk of Fame.

Skyline Top Shop

A spacious shop has been set up in the summit building, offering a mix of sportswear and souvenirs. Whether you forgot a hat, jacket, T-shirt, umbrella, or backpack, you’ll find almost everything here. Of course, Swiss watches and the iconic pocket knives are also part of the range. A special highlight is the umbrella printed with a photo of the revolving restaurant at the Schilthorn with the bright sun in the background.

Skyline Walk at Schilthorn

The mid-station Birg is located at 2,677 m above sea level on a rock massif. This is where you change for the last time before boarding the final gondola to Schilthorn. Besides the large sun terrace at Bistro Birg, there are two other attractions to discover here: the Skyline Walk and the Thrill Walk. Making a short—or even a slightly longer—stop here is definitely worth it.

The Skyline Walk extends from the bistro terrace to a platform, offering a breathtaking panoramic view over the entire Bernese Alps mountain range. The structure is mainly made of steel with a grated floor. Its angular design blends almost seamlessly into the rugged rocky landscape. If you’re not quite brave enough for the Thrill Walk, this is your best chance to snap a great photo of the Swiss skyline.

Thrill Walk at Schilthorn

The Thrill Walk starts right at the Birg station and follows a roughly 200-meter path along the rock face. It winds under the platform and the cable car, featuring several special sections along the way. For instance, there are parts where you can choose to balance on a rope. Of course, you can simply skip the balancing act and walk across the solid grid floor instead.

There are also short stretches with a glass floor, designed to raise the excitement a bit more. And last but not least, there’s a section that kids will especially love: a tunnel made from a steel net, where they can crawl through above the abyss within the structure.

Being fearless definitely helps here. If you’re unsure at any point, you can turn back and return to the starting point. Otherwise, just focus on the stunning view, and the dizzying height will 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: Lage und Anfahrt

Die gesamte Anlage der Schilthornbahn liegt auf dem Gebiet der politischen Gemeinde Lauterbrunnen. Die Luftseilbahn Stechelberg-Mürren-Schilthorn (LSMS) führt in vier Etappen bis zum Gipfel des Schilthorns.

Mit Abfahrt in Stechelberg passiert die Gondel auf der weltweit steilsten Strecke einer Luftseilbahn zunächst Mürren. Nächste Station ist Birg, bevor die Bahn den Gipfel am Schilthorn erreicht. Die frühere Zwischenstation Gimmelwald wird weiter angefahren, um das Dorf an den Verkehr anzuschiessen. Von hier aus kannst du auch weiter fahren nach Mürren.

An den Zwischenstationen steigst du jeweils in eine andere Gondel um, die in der Regel nicht lange auf sich warten lässt. Für den gesamten Weg benötigt die Schilthornbahn 32 min. Die Fahrt ab Stechelberg erfolgt zwischen 07:25 Uhr und 15:55 Uhr halbstündlich.

Hunde fahren übrigens auf dem gesamten Streckennetz der Schilthornbahn kostenlos mit, unabhängig von ihrer Grösse. Sie sollten jedoch an der Leine gehalten werden und ggf. einen Maulkorb tragen.

Anfahrt zur Talstation der Schilthornbahn

Die Schilthornbahn ist von Interlaken aus mit öffentlichen Verkehrsmitteln in etwa 50 min sehr bequem zu erreichen. Ab Interlaken Ost fährt die Berner Oberland Bahn BOB alle halbstündlich bis Lauterbrunnen. Ab hier fährst du mit der Postauto Linie 141 weiter nach Stechelberg, wo die Haltestelle direkt bei der Talstation liegt. Die Fahrpläne von Zug, Bus und Luftseilbahn sind aufeinander abgestimmt.

Wenn du mit dem Auto kommst, fährst du ebenfalls via Interlaken und Lauterbrunnen nach Stechelberg. Parkplätze sind zahlreiche gleich bei der Talstation in Stechelberg vorhanden. Und mit "zahlreich" sprechen wir von 1500 Parkplätzen.

The History of the Schilthornbahn

The first three sections of the Schilthornbahn between Stechelberg and Birg were completed as early as 1965. After filming for the James Bond movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" was finished, the last section from Birg to the summit of the Schilthorn officially opened in 1968. The cableway and the summit restaurant "Piz Gloria" were already used during the filming itself.

The Sections of the Schilthornbahn

With the completion of the Schilthornbahn 20XX project, the route was fundamentally modernized. The Schilthornbahn now runs in three sections from Stechelberg to the Schilthorn—one section fewer than before:

1. Stechelberg – Mürren
2. Mürren – Birg
3. Birg – Schilthorn

Section 1: Stechelberg – Mürren

Since December 2024, a state-of-the-art, double-track pendulum cableway with 85-seat cabins directly connects Stechelberg to the car-free mountain village of Mürren. The route overcomes 775 vertical meters and reaches a maximum gradient of nearly 160 percent, making it the steepest pendulum cableway in the world. The journey time is under four minutes.

The former route via Gimmelwald continues to operate alongside the new direct connection, ensuring year-round access to the mountain village of Gimmelwald.

Section 2: Mürren – Birg

The link between Mürren (1638 m above sea level) and Birg (2677 m above sea level) consists of two independently operated, single-track Funifor aerial cableways. These are the first of their kind in Switzerland and overcome an elevation difference of 1,039 metres. The first track started operation in December 2024, the second followed in November 2025.

The Funifor system is characterised by high wind stability, compact stations, and lower supports. Thanks to the independent operation, one track can remain in service even during maintenance of the other.

Section 3: Birg – Schilthorn

The top section from Birg to the summit of the Schilthorn at 2,970 m above sea level has also been completely renewed and replaced by two single-track Funifor cableways. The route is 1,766 metres long and overcomes 293 vertical metres. The first track began operating in March 2025, with the second opening in April 2026, marking the official completion of the entire project.

Access from Stechelberg to Gimmelwald remains secured via the existing aerial cableway. Access is guaranteed until at least 2035.

The new Schilthornbahn is considered one of the most modern aerial cableway systems in the Alps.

Restaurants at Schilthorn

Apart from the famous summit restaurant Piz Gloria, there is a popular bistro here at 2,677 m above sea level. Piz Gloria was expanded during the summit development between 1985 and 1992.

Summit Restaurant Piz Gloria, the revolving restaurant at Schilthorn

The revolving restaurant rotates with two rings through 360 degrees, offering a panoramic view of the mountains while you dine. The Bernese Alps provide a special highlight with the trio of Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. On the other side, you can gaze over Lake Thun, the Jura massif, and the picturesque central region.

The panoramic restaurant has 408 seats:

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

The restaurant, open daily during the operating hours of the Schilthorn cable car, offers table service. The menu features a wide range of snacks, salads, main courses, and desserts.

• You can book the popular brunch at Schilthorn daily for Piz Gloria. The brunch runs until 2:00 PM and allows you to visit the attractions at Schilthorn afterward.
• From 2:00 PM, there's the Piz Gloria Zvieri. Cheese and freshly sliced meats are served on a platter. Slicing the meat on an original Berkel slicer is part of the enjoyable ritual.
• During Piz Gloria lunch, you'll also be spoiled with 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.