Cable car in Schilthorn, Switzerland. Photo / Supplied
"If the train ride is this stunning, how much better can the main attractions be?" I contemplated as my carriage sped past serene blue lakes, clear bubbling streams and thundering waterfalls pounding down towering rock faces on the journey from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen in Switzerland. This rhetorical question was soon to be answered after a short cable car ride to Murren. Much better, breathtakingly so, in fact.
Mountains are moving phenomena. There's something about their majestic aura and sheer size in comparison to us humans that evokes an emotional response, like being in the presence of something a little magical.
In fact, as I dragged my suitcase from Murren cable car station to my hotel at the other end of town, I had to stop on a bench to take it all in and try to pick my jaw up off the ground. I wasn't the only tourist in the same state of awe.
Murren was quiet at the end of the Swiss summer but I can only imagine how busy it must be in winter. The sheer number of chalets indicated it must be heaving during ski season but right now it was lively enough without being overly crowded.
Groups of family and friends chatted, ate rosti and rustic Swiss cakes and drank in cafes with enormous snow-capped giants as the backdrop. It was almost slightly surreal, like at any point I might find out the vistas were just movie sets ready to be torn down after filming.
Once I had composed myself, I took a walk around the town. There's not a lot of shops, just a series of cafes, restaurants, chalets and a small superette (and of course Movenpick icecream, everywhere) but everything is incredibly tranquil, perhaps because it's a traffic-free village.
Murren is a popular spot for hiking, paragliding and base jumping and I was impressed by the amount of quite elderly Swiss folk progressing at a slow but determined pace with their hiking sticks. No wonder Switzerland is much lower down the world ladder of obesity than New Zealand.
After a lovely dinner at Hotel Alpenruh it was time to sleep, before heading up to the summit of Mt Schilthorn.
The journey was as beautiful as the destination. Every mode of transport runs smoothly and the cable car swept us effortlessly from Murren to the top of Schilthorn, providing panoramic views of lush green hills, clearer-than-clear rivers and sparkling streams all around. Despite the size of the "car" there was no bump as it crossed the pylons that support the cable. Swiss precision and efficiency is not a myth.
If I was blown away by Murren, Mt Schilthorn left me speechless. The 2970-metre summit of the Bernese Alps gave us clear views of other Swiss giants: Jungfrau, Eiger and Monch, as well as hundreds of other smaller peaks. It was even clear enough on the day we visited to see Mont Blanc in France.
Schilthorn is the start point of the world's oldest and longest downhill race, the Inferno. It's not hard to imagine speeding down those snow-covered slopes in overdrive production of adrenaline.
These were not views to be hurried and breakfast with a glass of prosecco at the revolving restaurant Piz Gloria was the perfect way to do the scenery justice. I'm pretty sure I've never dined anywhere with such a stunning backdrop before and we stayed several rotations to take it all in from the comfort of our table.
Schilthorn gained huge fame in the 60s when MGM used it as a location for James Bond film On her Majesty's Secret Service. The restaurant was part of a number of key scenes involving Bond and nasty villain, Blofeld. Filming took place in magical Murren too, much to the excitement of the locals.
I couldn't come all this way without visiting Bond World, a museum celebrating the film and its significance to the history of the area. Bond is played by Australian, George Lazenby's only Bond film.
In one of the clips shown at the museum, he hilariously speaks of how he decided to quit after one film as he thought the franchise "had run its course". Suffice to say he was a bit off on that. It is also the only film where ladies' man Bond marries. Tragically, his new bride is shot during the film.
The interactive museum features posters from old Bond films that line the entrance tunnel leading to a big room with a helicopter simulator (I perhaps didn't need to linger at the Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig posters for that long).
We climbed aboard the helicopter and the simulator movie took us past all the shooting locations, explaining the ins and outs of filming there. It was quite a feat, considering the lack of CGI technology at that time and, as the film notes, there were challenges along the way.
Other attractions were a short movie with all the scenes from the area and fascinating commentary, and the irresistible opportunity to sit in a toboggan used in the chase sequence while pointing your gun and pretending to be the world's most famous secret agent.
There are even screens where you can superimpose your face into a love scene with Mr shaken-not-stirred. I had to practise my demure kissing face several times to get it right.
After we had perused the museum, we ventured back outside to the newly opened 007 Walk of Fame.
It's a beautiful walk outside (good jacket and sturdy shoes required) and another opportunity to view some of the most magnificent scenery you may see in your life.
The short walk honours the stars and crew of the movie with information boards with their names, a short bio and their handprints. At the end there's a platform for more jaw-dropping gawking at the peaks. It was tough to finally tear myself away from this fascinating mix of natural beauty and pop culture history and we ended up getting off at the mid station for "just one more view". From there you can see Murren below, plus lakes, hills and more beautiful Swiss-ness. It would be an incredible spot to have a coffee at one of the outdoor tables.
I arrived back down in Lauterbrunnen with a couple of hours to spare before heading to my next destination. Lauterbrunnen is part of the valley of the 72 waterfalls and while I didn't have time to see them all, I wanted to see at least one.
Staubbach Falls, the second-highest falls in Switzerland, did not disappoint and was perfect at just 20 minutes' walk from the station. Again Switzerland came through with a natural sight that took my breath away. Powerful cascades of water thundering down from an overhanging rugged rock face served to dwarf my very existence. Unfortunately time didn't permit me to walk up the track and get the "behind the falls" view. Next time.
I highly recommend this part of Switzerland to anyone wanting a comprehensive mountain experience. In just a day and a half I was able to see mind-blowing scenery and Swiss transport and the size of the country means it's not difficult to get here from Bern, or even Zurich.
I could comfortably have stayed an extra day or two if time had permitted. If Switzerland is not currently on your radar, it should be.
As Kiwis we are constantly being told we live in the most beautiful place in the world, but Switzerland certainly gives Lord of the Rings country a good run for its money.
Several airlines operate stop-over flights from Auckland to Zurich.
A Swiss Travel Pass covers buses, trains and boats and gives access to more than 480 museums and discounts on mountain railways and cable cars. Children under 16 travel free when accompanied by a guardian using the Pass. The pass can be booked at www.raileurope.co.nz.
• myswitzerland.com
• www.muerren.ch
• www.schilthorn.ch
• mylauterbrunnen.com
Alexia Santamaria was a guest of Switzerland Tourism.
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