Piz Gloria — Attraction in Lauterbrunnen

The views and the lookout points are incredible, and should be prioritised for visitors above anything else. The museum is cool as well, pretty interactive and quite interesting!

The restaurant however sorely disappointed me. Again, the view is better outside at the lookout points, but aside from that I had a terrible experience.

The buffet setting is just as tacky as you can picture, and just as overpriced.

Additionally, I waited to be seated (as the sign instructs visitors to do so) and was given a seat at the end of one of the tables there. The only other people on my table (at the window) were a couple who were finishing up their food and paying, so once they left I sat in their spot as, again, no one else was there.

Immediately, a waiter came over and told me I needed to move back to my seat. He took my order first (I only ordered a tart as I just wanted to experience the restaurant itself so I opted for a small amount of money spent), and then affirmed that yes, I’d definitely need to move now. I asked why, and he said “for our reservations”. Keep in mind there was no reservation sign on the table, and I had just been seated there myself, so I was confused. “Can I just eat my tart and leave?” I asked, “No, we need the table for our reservations.” He answered before gesturing to my previous seat.

I sat there for 20 minutes at an empty table, no one at the window, because I had been told to move, and I firmly believe it was because I was alone and not in a group.

The tart was overpriced and clearly from the freezer, the berries on top were still stiff and semi frozen, and when pictured, the sugar resembled mold (pictured).

Shortly after, a couple asked me if they could sit at the window. I of course said yes, and they sat down, no dramas. So truly, what phantom reservations was this waiter talking about??

I was quite upset about this, as they already make you pay a very large amount of money to use the cable cars to get up there, then they overcharge you for terrible food, then they tell you that no, you can’t use the restaurant for the very reason it’s listed as a tourist attraction.

To summarise, I recommend going for the breathtaking views from outside the restaurant, the museum, and the cable car rides (hence three stars). The restaurant is a hard, hard pass...

The 007 breakfast/brunch is a once in a lifetime experience in my opinion. You get to enjoy unlimited (quality) buffet food was eating on a revolving platform at 3000m where they filmed a classic 1969 Bond Movie, what more do you want?!

First of all its about value for money. A return ticket to Schiltorn is 108 CHF but for only 21 CHF more, you get unlimited food ?! That’s a hell of a deal even if 129 CHF is still crazy money.

Second of all it’s about the views. You go through 4 different cable cars from Stechelberg where you park your car up to Schiltorn which is the platform. From there you get lots of beautiful views while eating and you can even go out see the James Bond memorabilia. In fact we actually preferred the views from Birg which is the 3rd stop out of the 4 and even includes a Sky Trail along the rocks for free.

Thirdly, the food. We got there for 12:30 which meant we missed the breakfast bit like croissants and stuff but we got full on lunch/brunch from Zurich-style veal, rösti, salad bar, bread bar, soup bar, brunchy things like salmon and cheese to having an Ovalmatine hot chocolate. Prosecco is also unlimited although you’ll need extra for soft drinks. Coffee, tea and juices all included. We loved it, we smashed it.

My only criticism is perhaps the rather rude and rushed staff who publicly shame tourists in Swiss German even though they clearly all speak English.

NB: it takes 32min to get all the way up the 4 cable cars but budget 45min with queues and stops. Also i think the brunch buffet is way more worth it than A La Carte.

PS: make sure to check out the special James...

Spectacular! We were fortunate enough that during our visit to Switzerland, we had clear skies all around. As such, we decided to take a trip to the top on a Friday during mid-February. Wasn’t willing to spend double the money to visit the Jungfraujoch, and the apparent route to the Schilthorn looked more varied. Commenced our journey in Lauterbrunnen and took the initial cable car to Grütschalp. From Grütschalp, we boarded the scenic train to Mürren (which also stops briefly at Winteregg). After departing at Mürren and exploring the village, we caught a subsequent cable car to Birg, and a final cable car to the top of the Schilthorn. The views were breathtaking and the visibility allowed us endless views into the horizon. Upon departure, we had lunch at Birg (much cheaper BBQ-style outdoor menu), continued to Mürren and took two more cable cars to Gimmelwald and Stechelberg. From Stechelberg, the free bus took us directly back to Lauterbrunnen. Highly recommend this journey! NB: The Schilthorn brochure online seems to advertise a single ticket from Lauterbrunnen, however we were unable to find this option on the initial ticket machine. As such, we bought single tickets from Lauterbrunnen Mürren (one-way at ticket machine); Mürren Schilthorn (return at ticket booth); Mürren Stechelberg (one-way at ticket booth). The total cost was the exact same as the total cost in the brochure,...