Schilthorn

Cue James Bond theme for On Her Majesty’s Secret Service because this is the peak where it was filmed. The Piz Gloria is perched on the top of the Schilthorn at nearly 3000m above sea level, but if it wasn’t for the Bond film it might have never been completed. The production company paid for the completion of the Piz Gloria when the original owners couldn’t afford to in exchange for the right to use the location for filming.

To get up to the summit, you can either hike about five hours or take four 8-minute cable car rides from Stechelberg. I’d highly recommend you buy the Fast Lane pass for CHF5 online to guarantee ascent at the desired time in the morning because it can get quite crowded in peak seasons and the cable cars only come by once every half-hour.

At the top of the Schilthorn, you can see the famous Jungfrau mountain as well as others like the Eiger and the Mönch, Mont Blanc is also visible in the distance on a good day with a visibility of over 80km. The town of Thun and Lake Thun is visible at mid-distance and is close enough to visit in the same day. The weather is mild on sunny days as the rays of sunshine keep you company on the cold peak.

Everything inside the Piz Gloria is so well done. The toilets are marked Bond and Bondgirls with extracts of the movie’s audio playing when you flush and the mirror turns into a screen when you wash your hands. The Bond Buffet at the world’s second highest rotating restaurant plays bits of the movie that was filmed in the restaurant and has a display explaining the role of the “golden lattice” in the movie. The food was okay but there is free flow bubbly wine, make sure to get a seat reservation for the popular restaurant!