Photo courtesy of edwin.11 – flickr
Though more of a summer beach kind of wandergal, I’m intrigued by one of Switzerland’s most popular sights. Billed as the “Top of Europe,” the country’s Jungfraujoch lays claim to the region’s highest railway station at 3,471 meters (11,388 feet). Whether attracted by the journey or the destination, visitors cite the Jungfraujoch rail excursion as an exceptional alpine experience for its stunning surrounding views of snow, ice and rock. This is one trip you want to take in clear weather.
Photo courtesy of edwin.11 – flickr
Passengers board the train from Grindelwald or Interlaken for the full-day round trip. Stops along the way include a train change before tunneling through the inside of the Eiger Mountain for the last leg of the journey to the final destination. From “I think I can . . . I think I can . . .” to “There. We’ve done it,” Swiss engineers celebrated the completion of their railway to the stars in 1912.
Photo courtesy of Kevin Poh – flickr
Travel highlights of the Jungfraujoch, a UNESCO World Heritage site, include: the Ice Palace, a grotto carved from a glacier featuring ice sculptures; the 23 km (14-mile) long Aletsch Glacier, and the Sphinx Observatory, the highest point in the Jungfraujoch offering spectacular views of the Mönch and Jungfrau peaks.
What about you, wanderboomers? Have you ridden the Jungfraujoch Railway? Would you like to?
I haven’t ridden it, but I’d like to. I prefer to be on a mountain than by the sea.
Then this might just be the trip you’ve been waiting for, Jan! Thanks for commenting ~
Yes I would like to ride that railway, how wonderful, thanks.
It looks amazing, doesn’t it, Maggie?