Schilthorn, Switzerland - Up in the clouds for breakfast at Piz Gloria

photo credit - Julius Silver, Pixabay

Okay so it’s a gimmick: to eat the ‘James Bond Breakfast’ at the ‘Piz Gloria’ revolving restaurant on the top of the 2950 metre Swiss Alp peak Schilthorn. The restaurant is famous for featuring prominently in the 1969 James Bond film ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’. The construction of ‘Piz Gloria’ was unfinished when the movie producers were scouting for locations so they paid for the completion and were repaid with an extraordinary location for the baddies lair and ski chase scene in the film.

When I visited, the journey getting there was more remarkable than the breakfast and foggy view itself.

The most popular route up to Schilthorn is by cable car from the Lauterbrunnen Valley village of Stechelberg taking 30 minutes. I went an alternative way: beginning at the funicular station directly across from the Lauterbrunnen train station. Before purchasing a ticket, there was a webcam view of live weather conditions at Schilthorn as a warning. The sales agent in the ticket-booth was kind enough to ask me if I really wanted to go all the way, considering the conditions looked bad. It was my own bad luck to continue but my time was limited and I defiantly wanted to go.

The short cable car ride up to Grütschalp had striking views down the lush green valley and of the many waterfalls spilling over the cliffs.

At Grütschalp the snow level started with much cooler air. Here travellers swap to a train for a 15 minute ride to the village of Mürren. The single line track hangs off the cliff looking down on the valley with views of the nearby Jungfrau, Eiger and Mönch mountains. A short walk through the village, passing Hotels and chalets takes you to the next mode of transport, another cable car for the final connection to Schilthorn. Or on the day I went, a trip into the clouds.

Arriving at ‘Piz Gloria’ the cable-car station is underneath the two floor
s. The top floor is the restaurant and takes an hour to do the 360 rotation. I was the only customer and the staff felt sorry for me when they came to take my order. I didn’t come to eat the James Bond breakfast but gave it a go.

“Sorry about the view today, maybe it will improve” the waitress said regretfully.

I paid for my James Bond breakfast, which is a normal breakfast buffet of cereals, bread rolls, eggs, meats, yogurt and fruit. I chose the waffles and tried to get my 29CHF worth.

Vaguely noticeable, the windows were revolving but the scene was all the same with the fog blanket.

After I ate the buffet breakfast I went outside where it was snowing large flakes and silent except for the metal flag clips bashing on the flagpole in the blustery wind.

There were no mountains to see. The scenic viewfinders were useless. I looked at the landmark maps on the railing, showing the horizon where I should be able to see of hundreds of peaks, imagining what it would look like. Undoubtedly it must be one of the most spectacular views in the world, looking out over Switzerland, Germany, Austria and France.

On the lower floor is ‘Bond World 007’ with a cinema, the original bobsled from the film, waxworks of the actors and multimedia where you can have your face copied into the ski chase in the film which began from Piz Gloria down the mountain. The display is free. After all it is expensive just to get up the mountain in the first place.

But I don’t care if a Bond film was made there. It’s one of the incredible places to visit in Europe and perhaps on a good day, better than going to the more popular and expensive Jungfrauhoch.

All photos taken by myself except aerial photo credit - Julius Silver, Pixabay

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