In Switzerland, there’s one ski area that is opening not one, but six new cable cars carrying 85-100 people per car. Yep – six of them.
Where is this magic happening? In Mürren – Schilthorn.
It’s all part of the mammoth Schilthornbahn 20XX project, in the postcard-pretty part of the Jungfrau Ski Region. And it is mammoth.
It involves the development of two new cable cars that opened this season between Stechelberg and Mürren (the steepest in the world) plus new cable cars between Mürren and Birg. Then, later this year new cable cars between Birg and the Schilthorn – Piz Gloria – famous for the James Bond movie On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
Plus a new purpose built station in the Lauterbrunnen Valley, as well as replacing the stations at Birg, and on the Schilthorn.
That’s a lot of people moving.
How steep is Stechelberg-Mürren cable car? Really steep.
I travel from Basel to Mürren on public transport, utilising a Swiss Travel Pass. These things are gold. The three-hour journey involves a tram, train to Interlaken Ost, train to Lauterbrunnen, bus to Stechelberg and then the incredible new cable car up to Mürren.
The station in Stechelberg is gorgeous with a shiny copper exterior. Because it is public transport, it can carry luggage or cargo in a container that fits beneath. Just like public transport, you can check your luggage in (it costs CH3).
Everything is automated through the AURO system (Autonomous Ropeway Operation) with constant monitoring by cameras and sensors. Then a fully automated loading robot takes care of freight logistics.
There are two of these beauties, constructed by Garaventa (the Swiss branch of the Doppelmayr Group), and when you ride up, you’ll pass its twin riding down.
The stats
Opened on 14 December 2024, the Stechelberg-Mürren cable car carries 85 people along a 1,193.7m track length from the valley station in Stechelberg to the mountain station at Murren.
The average incline is 91.8% with a 159.4 per cent gradient. Translated? Steepest cable car ride in the world with cabins hanging from 11 metre long arms.
The trip up only takes four minutes, travelling at seven metres per second, and can move 800 people per hour when running at full capacity.
The ride
We watch as the cable car descends down the cliff towards us, landing almost vertically. We board, and I go to the front so I can see where we are going. We lift off, and leave the glinting copper station behind.
The view to the sides is up and down the spectacular Lauterbrunnen Valley – known as the Valley of the Waterfalls. From the front, we fly upwards, towards the cliff face and ride it up, up and up some more. To get a better view of the angle of steepness, look out the sides, as you can actually take in the almost vertical cliff face.
As we pop up over the ridge, for the last section through to the new station in Mürren, I am taken aback by the panorama over the gorgeous car-free village and the view right up to the Schilthorn-Piz Gloria. Absolutely gobsmacking.
Disembarking in Mürren, you can connect to the other new cable car that takes you up to the Birg. This isn’t part of the public transport system but is part of the Mürren-Schilthorn ski resort.
Part two: Mürren to Birg
The Mürren to Birg cable car is part two of the Schilthornbahn 20XX, and carries 100 people. It too opened in December 2024.
This cable car is the first Funifor – another Doppelmayr creation – in Switzerland, and is a big improvement on the old system. Why? Because it has a wide track rope gauge, which guarantees high wind stability and reliable service even in difficult weather conditions.
The opening of the second Funifor track is planned for November 2025. These two cabins can then operate independently, meaning that one track can run while the other undergoes maintenance work. It means a year-round operation.
Once at Birg you can set off skiing or snowboarding down the steepest run in the Jungfrau – the Direttissima. You can have lunch, or tackle the Thrill Walk with its glass platform and its tightrope section – don’t panic, you can’t fall down into the abyss – or the Skywalk.
No matter what you do on Birg your jaw will hang open with the astonishing views to the trilogy of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau peaks.
The grande finale: The Schilthorn-Piz Gloria
While up on Birg, it was riveting to watch workers climb on a temporary section to work on the cables for the final section, from Birg to the Schilthorn-Piz Gloria summit. These guys were harnessed of course, but were way, way up over the ground standing on tiny cables.
The Schilthorn, at 2970 metres, is the main attraction of the area and has been closed since October 2024, to allow for the new cable cars to be completed. While there, we saw the first of these, also Funifor cabins, carried up to the peak on a cable that transports building equipment.
The first track will open on 15 March 2025, with a second to follow on 31 July 2026. Once complete, the journey time will be reduced from 32 minutes to 18 minutes.
The Schilthorn summit is a massive tourist attraction all year round, and with its shiny new building, will be the place to go once it opens in March. While you can ski or snowboard from the peak in winter, many people visit for the view, the restaurant and for the James Bond history.
The Piz Gloria Restaurant, the world’s first revolving restaurant, starred in the 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service with our own George Lazenby as Bond. It was the hideout for the movie’s villain, Ernst Stavro Blofeld.
You can see the Walk of Fame which features 15 information panels that pay tribute to the cast and behind-the-scenes contributors, and just marvel at the eye-watering view over the Eiger, Münch and Jungfrau as well as 200 other peaks, from the various viewing spots.
