Schilthorn

2,970 m

Switzerland

Also known as Шилтхорн

Шилтхорн

Elevation: 2,970 m
Prominence: 358 m
Difficulty: 3/10; Mountain hike
Best Season: Jul–Sep
Routes: 1

AdvisoryReported 2 Apr 2026
The SCHILTHORNBAHN 20XX rebuild is complete: the last new cable car track between Birg and the Schilthorn opened on 2 April 2026, so the whole Stechelberg–Mürren–Birg–Schilthorn line now runs on new twin-track infrastructure. Building work at the stations continues.
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Routes

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Sources differ: T2 (huettenwandern.ch (Mürren–Schilthornhütte section))

A long, marked mountain walk of about 1,330 m from Mürren past the Schilthornhütte (2,432 m) and the Seewlifura saddle to the rocky east ridge and the Piz Gloria summit station. Signposted at 4¼ hours; most people ride the cable car down.

Elevation Profile

approximate line

Distance: 8.1 km; one way
Ascent: +1,335 m; start → summit
High Point: 2,970 m
Time Up: 5h 28m; DIN 33466
Time Down: 3h 41m; DIN 33466 · same way back

From Mürren station (1,639 m) follow the signs for the Schilthorn up the slopes towards Allmendhubel and the Höhlücke (1,899 m). Above Allmendhubel the marked path partly follows a broad ski piste into the Engital to the Schilthornhütte (2,432 m), perched on a rock outcrop; huettenwandern.ch gives 2½ hours from Mürren (T2) and 45 minutes down from Birg. Above the hut, the path climbs scree and rock to the Seewlifura saddle (2,598 m), above the small Grauseeli lake, then follows the rocky ridge west past point 2684 to the summit. Almost every step on the final ridge is marked with yellow paint (a relic of the Inferno mountain run); it has drops on both sides but a good path, with steps and a last staircase up to the viewing platform of the summit station and the revolving Piz Gloria restaurant. The signpost at Mürren gives 4 h 15 min to the summit. Most walkers take the cable car down via Birg to Mürren. On foot, a loop descends west to the saddle at point 2828, down Rote Härd to the Rotstockhütte (2,041 m) and back to Mürren via Gimmela, about 5½ hours for the whole circuit (T3). A longer, steeper ascent comes up from Stechelberg past the Rotstockhütte, signposted at 6 h 45 min.

Start

Mürren1,638 m

Schilthornbahn Mürren–Birg–Schilthorn (for descent or to shorten the ascent from Birg, 1½ h)
Train Interlaken Ost–Lauterbrunnen, then either the Grütschalp cableway and BLM railway to Mürren, or the bus to Stechelberg and the Schilthornbahn cableway to Mürren

Stages

Day	Stage	km	m ascent	m descent	Time
1	Mürren → Schilthorn	8.1	1,335	0	5h 28m

Waypoints

Station:
Mürren1,638 m
Col:
Höhlücke1,899 m
Hut:
Schilthornhütte2,432 m
Col:
Seewlifura2,598 m
Summit:
Schilthorn2,970 m

Key Passages

Seewlifura saddle above the Grauseeli
Rocky final ridge to the summit (drops on both sides, yellow paint marks)
Staircase up to the summit station platform

Equipment

0/5 packed

Safety

Sun protectionRequired

Footwear

Hiking boots with good gripscree and rocky ridgeRequired

Clothing

Waterproof and warm layerssummit at almost 3,000 m; weather changes fastRequired

Navigation

Map or navigation apppath diversions after rockfall near the summit have been signed in recent yearsRecommended

Other

Trekking polessteep descent if walking downRecommended

Downloads

Route confidence 70%

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Overview

The 2,970 m summit above Mürren, famous for the revolving Piz Gloria restaurant from the 1969 James Bond film. A cable car goes to the top, but a marked T3 path climbs about 1,330 m from Mürren via the Schilthornhütte for a full view of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau.

The Schilthorn rises west of the Lauterbrunnen valley in the Bernese Oberland and is the highest point of the range north of the Sefinenfurgge. Its summit is entirely developed: a cable-car station, viewing platforms and the Piz Gloria revolving restaurant. From the top the view takes in the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau across the valley, the rest of the Bernese Alps, the Titlis and, on clear days, the Jura, the Vosges and the Black Forest; Mont Blanc is just visible.

For hikers, the Schilthorn is a big but non-technical day out. Marked mountain paths climb from Mürren through alpine pasture and the stony Engital to the small Schilthornhütte, then over scree and a rocky ridge to the summit. You share the top with cable-car visitors, but the way up is quiet by comparison, and you can ride down. Shorter options start at the intermediate station Birg (1½ hours to the summit).

In winter the Schilthorn is a ski area and the start of the Inferno, the world's longest downhill race, run since 1928; in summer the Inferno Triathlon finishes on the summit.

Climbing Notes

Fitness for about 1,330 m of ascent and 4–4½ hours uphill is the main requirement. The path is marked and graded T3 overall (T2 to the hut); the final ridge has drops on both sides but a good, stepped path. Altitude can make the last few hundred metres feel harder than expected, and weather on the summit can be wintry even in summer. Snow often lies on the upper path until early July and returns from October.

Typical plan: walk up from Mürren via the Schilthornhütte (refreshments, 20 beds) and ride the cable car down, or make a loop back via the Rotstockhütte (about 5½ hours of walking). Check the cableway timetable and any maintenance closures before relying on it for the descent, and ask the tourist office about trail diversions near the summit after rockfall.

History

Piz Gloria began as a stalled construction project for a summit restaurant; the producers of 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' (1969) financed the completion of the revolving platform in exchange for filming rights, and the restaurant still trades on its Bond connection. The Inferno ski race has started from the summit since 1928. Between 2024 and 2026 the whole cableway was rebuilt in the 'SCHILTHORNBAHN 20XX' project: a new Stechelberg–Mürren cableway, the steepest in the world, opened in December 2024, and the last new Birg–Schilthorn track opened on 2 April 2026.

Season

Best Jul–Sep

January: Not advisable
February: Not advisable
March: Not advisable
April: Not advisable
May: Not advisable
June: Possible
July: Best (best window)
August: Best (best window)
September: Best (best window)
October: Possible
November: Not advisable
December: Not advisable

Jan: Ski area; no summer path; summit reachable by cable car
Feb: Ski area
Mar: Ski area
Apr: Snow on the upper path
May: Snow on the upper path
Jun: Schilthornhütte opens mid-June; snow on the upper slopes
Jul: Main hiking season
Aug: Main hiking season; afternoon thunderstorms
Sep: Often clear and stable
Oct: Hut closes mid-October; early snow possible; check cableway maintenance dates
Nov: Snow
Dec: Ski area

Access & Permits

Hut Booking

Schilthornhütte (Skiclub Mürren, 20 places): contact the hut by phone (+41 33 855 50 53) or via schilthornhuette.com.

Fees

Schilthornbahn cable car fares (Mürren–Birg–Schilthorn) if riding up or down

Rules

Mürren is car-free; park at Stechelberg or Lauterbrunnen

Getting There

Mürren (Lauterbrunnen)

Bern (BRN) for limited flights; Zurich (ZRH) or Geneva (GVA)

Train to Interlaken Ost and Lauterbrunnen, then the cableway to Grütschalp and the BLM railway to Mürren
Alternatively bus from Lauterbrunnen to Stechelberg (Schilthornbahn) and the cableway to Mürren
By car: park at Lauterbrunnen or the Schilthornbahn valley station near Stechelberg

Hazards

Weather
Exposure
Rockfall

Huts & Shelters

SchilthornhütteHutStaffed
20 beds · Usually staffed mid-June to mid-October
Website of Schilthornhütte
2,432 m