I am going to cover Solden or Soelden or Sölden, a very small mountainous beautiful village situated in Otztal Alps of Western Austria. This place is located in Tyrol Province of Austria and strategically aligned near to Italy and Switzerland. And if you have a cross country plan to explore Austria, Switzerland Italy then I strongly recommend staying here for 1-2 days.

After having a great stay in Salzburg and Hallstatt, my next destination was this beautiful Alpine village. With the population of around 5000 people, Soelden is not a great touristic destination. Solden was famous as one of the best destinations among ski lovers because of snow sure certainty, steepest and daunting lines over the slopes. But the release of “Spectre” movie in 2015 has changed all the dynamics of Solden and turn as must visit place in Austria among tourist attractions.

I started from Hallstatt to Solden which is nearly 330 km and 4 hours on the road. I wanted to explore Innsbruck town in between so I kept around 6 hours to reach Solden. I spent around 3 hours in Innsbruck and wanted to visit only, The Hofkirche – Court church.

The court church is on the edge of the historic district of Innsbruck, between the museum of Tyrolean Regional Heritage and the imperial court. The little history of this church will make your travel journey interesting. The late Emperor Maximilian’s tomb and their surrounding are considered as one of the best examples of German renaissance sculpting that you will never come across. The tomb is considered to be carved out on black marble which depicts important life events of the emperor which is set between 28 other statues.

After spending some time in Innsbruck, I wanted to reach Soelden which was around 90 km away from this church and usually takes 2 hours on snowy roads in December. Soelden is also called a resort town and very few hotels are available in this place. This place becomes extremely expensive and rooms get scarce during the Christmas holidays. So, plan properly as prices are around 250- 300 Euros per night for small family accommodation. I booked through the Hotels.com app and as a privileged member, I got a pretty decent suite with a large balcony covering the Alps for around 480 Euros for 2 nights in Backelar Wirt Superior.

The must do places which you can cover in Soelden if you have 1-2 days:

1) 007 Elements : The name itself comes from the famous James bond movie that reflects the visitor’s journey by a series of galleries, each depicts the craft of the signature elements that define the James Bond 007 Elements.
These locations are thereafter considered as one of the top vacation destinations for James Bond fans. To reach you have to access Gondola ride or trail, I don’t want to trail with my kids so had a Gondola ride to reach 007 Elements. I booked my tickets through this site; https://007elements.soelden.com/prices. I opted for combined tickets which included a Gondola ride and access to 007 Elements.
The Gondola ride over the Gaislachkogl mountains is itself a breath-taking experience which is well captured in Spectre movie too. However, it’s overcrowded at times with Ski lovers as they use it as a medium for to and fro for skiing. It’s an ideal place for photo and video shoots specially in the evening where you can capture The Alps over a Gondolas.

Once you reach the entrance of 007 Elements, you feel that it’s a different world. The series of crystal clear snowy mountains peaks of the Alps give a glimpse of Himalayas.

The entrance is made through the tunnels that will immediately excite the visitors in the sights and sounds of James bond’s world. The exhibition centre will take visitors on a journey through a series of high-tech interactive galleries, each getting into the craft of signature elements that will define the James Bond movie with some action and thriller involved in it.

The 007 elements had some state-of-the-art technology with amazing architecture which combines the captivating experiences of dramatic cinematic soundscape with interactive technology and visuals. The helicopter and the Range Rovers used in Spectre movie are placed at various places of 007 Elements so tourists can touch and live the moments of the Spectre movie.

2)The ice Q restaurant : The Ice Q restaurant is one of the most important locations from the film when James Bond meets Dr. Madeleine Swann and the snow chase sequence begins the film. I had a prior reservation in the restaurant which I booked a week in advance. Don’t keep it for 24-48 hours’ notice otherwise you will regret sure. This restaurant is in huge demand with great food and services. 360-degree view of The alps from all the tables are mesmerizing to witness while having your food. It’s a lifetime experience. Tapas Lounge is another place in Ice Q restaurant wherein you can enjoy drinks with some great panoramic view of The alps from the terrace.

On the next day, I wanted to explore the vicinity of my hotel and Solden village along with The Gaislachkogl Mountain. The main building of 007 Elements are designed and constructed by Obermoser arch-Uomo zt gmbh inside the Gaislachkogl Mountain. The weather around there was too cold and was almost -5 degrees. And we went there to enjoy minus degrees of Soelden village which made the journey even more memorable and fun before starting to one of the smallest country-Lichtenstein of my cross country trip of Europe.

Conclusion
Being a huge James Bond fan, I was thrilled by visiting these few places in
Solden, one of the best experiences I had on my way to visit. To know more
about the details of this place, you can watch my vlog on YouTube