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As most Bond fans know, Piz Gloria was
used as the location for Blofeld's headquarters for the 1969 film 'On Her
Majesty's Secret Service'. Perched on top of the 10,000 ft Schilthorn
mountain in the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland, this location is
even more popular today due to the publicity surrounding its use in the
film, as well as being home to a revolving restaurant with spectacular views.
In recent years the restaurant building has been enlarged to cater for the
growing number of tourists, and the cable cars have been replaced or refurbished,
but the location is still a wonderful place to visit, whether you're a fan
of 007 or not.
The following photographs were taken on our first trip to Switzerland, in
September 1985, when the cable car and restaurant buildings were still in
their original state. The journey to Piz Gloria is almost as spectacular as
the views from the summit of the Schilthorn. Arriving at the valley station
Lauterbrünnen by narrow gauge train from Interlaken Ost, I immediately
recognised it as the location where James Bond (George Lazenby) left the train
on his own journey to Piz Gloria in 'OHMSS'. Rather than take a sleigh ride to
a helicopter as 007 did, we took the more normal route of funicular and
mountain railway to the idyllic Alpine village of Mürren. After a short mile
long stroll through this beautiful little town, we arrived at the cable car
station of the 'Luftseilbahn Stechelberg Mürren Schilthorn' (LSMS). The red
cable car was just descending into the station. After passing through the
ticket gate we stepped into the cabin and awaited departure time. With a
ringing of communication bells we were on our way, first to the middle station
of Birg, and then lofted up to the breathtaking heights of the Schilthorn. An unforgettable
journey to one of the most majestic viewpoints in the whole of the World.
