Piz Gloria, Birg and Mürren: a day at the Schilthorn

Dernière mise à jour de cet article le 1 September 2024

I’m continuing to bring you the highlights of my travels in German-speaking Switzerland. So today, I’m taking you to the Schilthorn, to discover Piz Gloria, Birg and Mürren.

The what?

The Schilthorn is a 2,970-meter-high peak in the Bernese Alps, overlooking the Lauterbrunnen Valley. It is the highest ski area in the Bernese Oberland.

It is famous as the setting for the James Bond film “Her Majesty’s Secret Service”, shot in 1969.

So we spent a day discovering the Schilthorn. So what was the programme for this (almost) perfect day?

1. Take (many) cable cars
2. Stop off at Birg, an intermediate station with breathtaking views
3. Go to Piz Gloria, the summit of the Schilthorn (and pretend you’re James Bond)
4. Visit Mürren, a charming typical village.

All against the backdrop of the Eiger (3 967 m), Mönch (4 107 m) and Jungfrau (4 158 m), the region’s famous mountains.

And do you know what? I spent a wonderful day at the Schilthorn in the canton of Bern. The emotion was at its peak with these breathtaking landscapes.

So to share my incredible experience, I’m giving you all my advice if you too want to spend a dream day at the Schilthorn.

How do I get to Piz Gloria, the summit of the Schilthorn?

To get to Piz Gloria, the summit of the Schilthorn, you have to takethe Schilthorn Bahn, a cable car that departs from the Stechelberg cable car station, just a few minutes from Lauterbrunnen.

Then you have to change cable cars 3 times to reach the summit.

It’s quite incredible to have to take so many gondolas to get to the top of a mountain. All in all, the trip takes 32 (happy) minutes.

If, like me, you don’t like this kind of transportation, you’re in for a treat! Having said that, I have to admit that the scenery is so magnificent that you forget your stress (or not).

So you can make 4 stops from Stechelberg. The 4 stops are :

• Gimmelwald
• Mürren: a charming car-free village
• Birg: guaranteed thrills with the Skyline Walk and Thrill Walk
• Piz Gloria (the summit) and Bond World

And because everything is so well organized (Swiss precision!), there’s a sequence between the first and last cable cars. There’s no waiting, which is really appreciated.

Practical information

Timetable: You can consult the cable car timetable.

Price: As is often the case in Switzerland, the price is high. If you don’t have a discount, you’ll pay CHF 108 per person for the round trip. If you have a half-fare card, you’ll pay CHF 54.

You can buy your return ticket for Piz Gloria (including all 4 cable cars) online. Alternatively, you can opt for the Jungfrau Travel Pass if you’re staying in the region for several days. This pass gives you unlimited access to trains, cable cars and funiculars in the Jungfrau region (Grindelwald, Mürren, Lauterbrunnen, Interlaken, Unterseen and Wengen). You can choose a 3, 5 or 7-day pass. If you’re staying in the region for several days, your pass will quickly pay for itself, given the prices in Switzerland. You can buy your pass online here.

How do I get to the Stechelberg cable car station?

The departure point for the Schilthorn is the Stechelberg or Gimmelwald cable car station.

Stechelberg is a 25-minute drive from Interlaken, 2 hours 35 minutes from Geneva and 2 hours from Zurich.

There are trains from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen and then buses to Stechelberg from Lauterbrunnen station. By the way, I invite you to read our articles on our stay in Lauterbrunnen and our visit to Interlaken for more information.

Parking: If you’re coming by car, you can park in the Stechelberg parking lot or like us in Gimmelwald.

What to do on the Schilthorn Discover Piz Gloria, Birg and Mürren

You have 3 options when you go to the Schilthorn: go to Piz Gloria, stop at Birg or Mürren.

Birg: guaranteed thrills with the Skyline walk and Thrill walk

After taking two cable cars (from Gimmelwald), our first stop is the intermediate station at Birg.

Birg is situated at an altitude of 2,677 meters. It offers incredible views of Switzerland’s legendary Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau mountains.

In fact, on another trip to the canton of Berne in Switzerland, I went to the Jungfrau. I invite you to read the article I wrote about this beautiful day at the Jungfraujoch, the roof of Europe.

When I stepped out of the gondola and saw this landscape in front of me, I was overcome with emotion. Indeed, when I went there, it was a difficult time for me, and seeing this absolutely magical landscape made me shed a few tears of emotion. I’ll never forget this panorama and the feeling of being above the clouds.

As well as spending hours admiring this breathtaking panorama, there are many things to do in Birg.

Skyline Walk

The Skyline Walk is an observation platform overlooking the cliffs, offering incredible views of the mountains.

There’s also an on-site restaurant, Bistro Birg. Unfortunately, when we went there, the restaurants were closed. However, it was possible to pick up a small snack and eat it outside.

Thrill Walk

How would you define a Thrill Walk? I’d say it’s a short walk (200 meters) to get as close as possible to the cliffs.

If you’re afraid of heights, I wouldn’t really recommend it. In any case, it was great and so impressive.

You have to have confidence in the infrastructure, because the bridge is suspended in mid-air.

Depending on the season, you can do a lot of hiking from Birg. Alternatively, depending on snow conditions, the ski slopes are perfect for skiers.

Piz Gloria: the summit of the Schilthorn

We leave Birg (reluctantly) to take another cable car (the last one for the climb!).

When we finally arrive, the view is always magical.

As in Birg, there’s plenty to do at Piz Gloria.

Skyline View

The Skyline View panoramic platform offers a 360-degree view of the Swiss Alps. Of course, the infernal trio of Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau are also on display .

You can also see other peaks, including Mont Blanc.

There’s also a panoramic restaurant at the top of the Schilthorn, which takes 45 minutes to turn around.

Bond World

And most original of all, inside the building, there’s an interactive ” Bond World ” exhibition retracing the filming of James Bond’s “At Her Majesty’s Service”.

You can see excerpts from the film, filming props and even ride in a helicopter.

And outside, there’s the 007 Walk of Fame. This is a landscaped path along the ridge of the Schilthorn, with signs featuring the various actors.

It’s quite strange to be on top of a mountain with James Bond photos everywhere!

After feeling like James Bond, it’s time to leave. The last stop on this beautiful day is Mürren.

Mürren, a car-free village

Mürren is a charming Swiss village with the unique feature of being car-free. It lies at an altitude of 1,638 meters.

Unfortunately, it’s time to head back. We make the most of this magnificent panorama one last time.

Shiltorn, Piz Gloria, Birg and Mürren: my opinion

What a day on the Shiltorn, with stops at Birg, Piz Gloria and Mürren.

I’ve never felt so emotional as when I was at Piz Gloria and Birg with that breathtaking panorama. And what about Mürren? This village with all its chalets couldn’t be more romantic.

I’ll never forget the feeling I had when I discovered this incredible panorama of the Swiss mountains, in particular the magical trio of theEiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, and the sensation of being above the clouds.

In any case, if you get the chance to go to the Shiltorn, I’d recommend it 1,000%.

Shiltorn, I promise you we’ll be back (when the restaurants are open to make it a really perfect day!). If you’re in the Bern area, take the opportunity to discover the Emmental region. It’s a completely different setting from the Schilthorn!

Other destinations in Switzerland :

• Saint Gall
• Zurich
• See the Rhine Falls in Switzerland
• What to do in Solothurn
• Discover Lucerne and its surroundings
• Stay in Saint Moritz
• Visiting the Appenzell region
• Schaffhausen
• Switzerland’s most beautiful places

If you want to know more about Switzerland, I recommend this article. You’ll be surprised!