Have you ever dreamed of being James Bond for a day? I have! As a lifelong fan of 007, sometimes I think the places I travel to provide similar experiences. If you use your imagination and don’t let the wife and kids distract you there may not be a better place to pretend to be the world’s most famous spy than in Soelden, Austria.
Soelden sits in the Oetztal Valley in southern Austria near the Italian border and rises over 3000 meters into the sky. The mountain is part glacier, has incredible vistas of the blindingly white Alps, international flair and a high brow European atmosphere so familiar in the films. The mountain boasts an adventurous 4,429 vertical feet and an apres ski scene second to none.
The modern lifts seem straight out of a Bond flick and one in fact is. In the James Bond movie Spectre, Soelden plays host to a fantastic action sequence involving a plane, high end defender SUVs and one of the mountains gondolas. It’s on this lift where Q is chased by some bad guys and miraculously escapes avoiding capture. In fact, the theme song to the 007 movies plays in the background on your way up.
In real life, this gondola brings you to the top of the Gaislachkogl Peak where the Ice Q restaurant resides that was used as a medical clinic in the movie. The building is futuristic with its glass and concrete structure overlooking the mountains and valley below. Even better, just adjacent to the building is the 007 Elements museum dedicated to James Bond.
Inside, you are treated to a collection of goodies from the Bond films, various technologies that Q has conjured up, gadgets such as the golden gun, movie clips and an interesting diorama of how the crew filmed the action sequence at Soelden. The Museum is separated into 9 different rooms, each featuring something different and unique from the Bond films.
When you enter the Museum you are in the Barrel of the Gun that so often is shown in the opening sequence of the Bond films watching some opening scenes and listening to the iconic 007 theme song. From here you walk through the Plaza, which offers amazing views of Tirol and the alps. Then you are led into the Lobby where a special film details all of the Bond films from Dr. No to Spectre. In the next room, the Lair, a second film showcases the movie characters in a whole new way. Visitors are then taken into the Briefing Room where the actress who played Moneypenny talks about how they choose scene locations. They talked a lot about why Soelden was chosen for Spectre here and showed so much of the landscape.
The next room was the Tech Room – far and away the boys’ favorite room. Here you can see many of the gadgets that Q created in the films. There are things in museum-type cases and digital programs you can try on screen. We even got to become special agents! We spent a lot of time in the Tech Room – there were just too many cool things to see and do.
From here, you go to the Action Hall, which is not to be missed. This room details all of the special effects that were used when making Spectre. There are dioramas and film clips showing you everything that went into making the film so realistic. To top it all off, the plane that Bond turns into a snowmobile by clipping its wings on some trees hangs from the ceiling. Now that you’ve learned all about how they did it, the Screening Room shows you those action sequences one more time. I promise you it’s all new now that you know how it was made! The final room is the Legacy Room where you can watch scenes from other 007 movies and buy Bond merchandise.
The Museum is open from 9:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Visitors need timed-entry tickets and should purchase those in advance online. Individuals who purchase a 6+ day ski pass for Soelden receive complementary admission.
This is a trip worth taking, just make sure that you have some Champagne on hand at the end of your day and put the kids to bed early! Oh James!
Things to Know Before You Go
- The Museum is not heated, so if you go in winter, wear warm clothing.
- You will move slowly through the first few rooms because of the films but can move at your own pace after that. Allow 1-2 hours to see everything that’s there.
- There is a Jeep from the movie that is located on the mountain not far from the museum. In the winter you can ski down to it, like I did. I’m sure you can also walk to it in the summer.
The 007 Elements Museum reopened for summer on June 11, 2021 as European countries are slowly reopening for tourism. We recommend considering these 6 things before booking your trip to be sure you can fully experience your time in Europe!
Are you a Bond fan? Let us know in the comments.
