Mürren: skiing with James Bond

"My name is Bond, James Bond". Who does not know this famous phrase that is not missing in any of the films in the series? Remembering the chases on snow-covered tracks in Switzerland, we wanted to slip in the trail of the legendary secret agent. Because where the gangsters build a fortress, where the bad guys chase James Bond in bobsleigh and on skis, the landscapes are inevitably breathtaking and the ski slopes demanding.

Head for the Bernese Oberland, a region near Bern. At the bottom of the Lauterbrunnen valley, in Stechelberg, we leave the car in a parking lot: the rest of the trip to reach the village of Mürren in 1650, is done by cable car. In Mürren, we collect our luggage. Provident, we stuffed everything into a backpack: in this pedestrianized village, only the rare transport company vehicles circulate and since we had not booked .... But our hotel is not far and the short walk in this wintry landscape is really beautiful - even if the skis are starting to weigh on the shoulders and the fingers, despite the gloves, are freezing!

From our room, the panorama is breathtaking: it is the hour of the sunset which tints the Jungfrau and its two companions in incredible shades of pink. Cleared of our luggage, and before it gets dark, we go out to immerse ourselves in this village which has a crazy charm under a thick blanket of snow! The next day, weather change: it's snowing and you can't see 10 m away. Too bad, the summit of Schilthorn, the film's Piz Gloria, awaits us.

007 shows us the correct cable car to take. At 2970 m, it is still snowing. Maybe better to wait a bit and have a special James Bond breakfast. Sit down where the secret agent tastes his Martini, not bad, right? Except that, to skiers, they serve an alcohol-free prosecco to accompany the copious buffet. As the weather is always bad, we take the opportunity to visit the exhibition on the "making of" of the film "In the service of his Majesty" shot in 1968, with models, drawings, photos, extracts. In the new space we take ourselves for Bond arriving by helicopter, we live the hellish descent in a bob-sleigh. Without forgetting all the anecdotes surrounding the arrival of the film crew (180 people) in the small village (500 inhabitants) not at all prepared for such an invasion!

The Schilthorn this morning is capricious, like all stars. Only good skiers embark on the black slope, plunging into the turmoil, reassured all the same by the markings (no question of replaying the infernal pursuit of the film!). The others prefer to take the cable car back down to Birg, the middle station. The weather getting really bad, we forget the skis for the rest of the day to explore the village, watch a game of curling on the ice rink of the sports center.

Our patience is rewarded: the next day, blue sky and bright sun. We go back to Schilthorn, admire the panoramic view of 200 peaks and 40 glaciers (at least, it's marked in the prospectus, we didn't count them!) Before hitting the slopes, this time in optimal conditions.

Around 3 p.m., we regretfully decide to take the way back. Skis and backpacks join the skip to reach the valley while we pile into the cable car: we are not the only ones having to leave this Sunday afternoon. But we will come back, James Bond has paved the way for us!