Jungfraujoch Railway, Switzerland
Jungfraujoch is a notable saddle in the Bernese Alps, connecting the two four-thousander peaks Jungfrau and Mőnch, at an elevation of 3,466 metres above sea level. Its railway station is Europe's highest. It is a glacier saddle, on the upper snows of the Aletsch Glacier, and part of the Jungfrau-Aletsch area, situated on the boundary between the cantons of Bern and Valais, halfway between Interlaken and Fiesch.
Since 1912, the Jungfraujoch has been accessible to tourists by the Jungfrau line, a railway from Interlaken and Kleine Scheidegg, running partly underground through a tunnel through the Eiger and Mönch. The Jungfraujoch railway station, at an elevation of 3,454 metres (11,332 ft) is the highest in Europe. It lies east of the saddle, below the Sphinx station, and is connected to the Top of Europe building, which includes several panoramic restaurants and a post office. Several tunnels lead outside, where secured hiking trails on the crevassed glacier can be followed, in particular to the Mönchsjoch Hut.
Duration: 2 hours return from Interlaken
Murren alpine village
The Journey
The Jungfraujoch can be reached by cogwheel train only. There are multiple stations to board the train. All trains to the Jungfraujoch depart from Kleine Scheidegg. Kleine Scheidegg can be reached via Interlaken - Zweilütschinen - Lauterbrunnen - Wengen, or via Interlaken - Zweilütschinen - Grindelwald. Most people start their trip to the Jungfraujoch in Interlaken, but you can board the train at any station along the way. We recommend to go up via one route and go down via the other. That way you see the most of this stunning Alpine area.
There are two routes to get there; via Lauterbrunnen and via Grindelwald. It is not a cheap excursion, but very unique and worth the money. Cogwheel trains take you from Interlaken at an altitude of 570 metres all the way up across several climate zones to the Jungfraujoch at 3454 metres.
Interlaken to Kleine Scheidegg via Grindelwald: If you choose to travel via Lauterbrunnen you can best sit on the right of the train when departing from Interlaken. You'll have a slightly better view that way. After changing trains in Lauterbrunnen, the best view in the train to Kleine Scheidegg is again on he right.
Interlaken to Kleine Scheidegg via Lauterbrunnen: If you travel via Grindelwald you can best sit on the right for the best view. In Grindelwald, you change to the train to Kleine Scheidegg. You can either sit on the left for an up close view of the Eiger North face or on the right for a wider view across the mountains.
Kleine Scheidegg to Jungfraujoch: The majority of this section is in a tunnel, but still it is impressive if you just think about it: a tunnel at an altitude of 3,000 m across the rocks of the Eiger. The train will make two short stops along the way, at Eigerwand and Eismeer. These stations allow you to get off the train for a few minutes and enjoy the view through the panoramic windows. At Eigerwand you'll look straight down the famous Eiger North face. At Eismeer you can view the world of eternal snow and ice.
The train into the mountain leaves from Kleine Scheidegg, which can be reached by trains from Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen. The train enters the tunnel running eastward through the Eiger shortly after leaving Kleine Scheidegg.
It runs close behind the Eiger's north face, stopping at Eigerwand, where there is a window about 8 m long and a metre high, halfway up the face. The windows have been placed in holes used to remove excavated rock from the tunnel during construction, and are also occasionally used as access points, by climbers, and also rescue parties. This window was used for one of the final scenes of the Clint Eastwood spy movie The Eiger Sanction. There one can get off the train to admire the view before the train continues five minutes later. The tunnel then turns west, heading towards the Jungfrau. There is a second stop at a window looking out on the Eismeer ("Sea of Ice") before the train continues to the Jungfraujoch. The tunnel was constructed between 1898 and 1912; it is about 7 kilometres long, with gradients of up to 25 percent. The journey from Kleine Scheidegg to Jungfraujoch takes approximately 50 minutes including the stops at Eigerwand and Eismeer; the downhill return journey taking only 35 minutes.
Things to do at Jungfraujoch
A lift takes you 117 m further up to the Sphinx observatory. You can enjoy a 360° view here, both from the terrace and from the comfort of a building with panoramic windows. The Sphinx Observatory, one of the highest astronomical observatories in the world, provides an additional viewing platform at a height of 3,572 metres. It can be reached by an elevator from the Jungfraujoch. The observatory houses one of the Global Atmosphere Watch's atmospheric research stations. The Jungfraujoch radio relay station, which is not accessible to the public, is installed west of the Jungfraujoch, on the Jungfrau ridge. It is Europe's highest radio relay station.
There is an Ice Palace with many ice sculptures to admire
The Alpine Sensation is a moving walkway with images, light and music, connecting the hall below the Sphinx observatory to the Ice Palace
There are multiple restaurants
You can go out in the snow and enjoy the view of the Grosser Aletsch glacier and the surrounding mountains
In Summer you can go sledging, skiing or snowboarding in the Snow Fun Park (not included in the train ticket)
Lindt Swiss Chocolate Heaven, where you can learn about the history of chocolate and how it is made. Of course you can buy chocolate here as well
Several exhibitions and informative multimedia shows
You can hike across the glacier to the Mönchsjoch hut in about an hour. Be sure to only do this in good weather and with proper hiking gear. Do not leave the marked trail.
Suggested preparation
Check the weather forecast as there's no point in going up if the Jungfraujoch is covered in clouds. Dress in multiple thinner layers so that you can adapt to the different temperatures throughout the day. Note that it can be very windy at the top. Take along gloves, sun glasses and perhaps a winter sports hat. Solid shoes help too.
Allow at least two hours to visit the Jungfraujoch. This does not include the time to get there. It's either a day trip or half a day trip, depending on your departure time and pace.
The Jungfraujoch is located at an altitude of 3454 m. Anyone can suffer from (light) altitude sickness from about 2000 m. Usually it helps to take things slow and sit down for a while. Special precautions apply to children under 2 years old, as well as people who are pregnant or in poor health: before visiting areas over 2500 m, you'd better consult your doctor. In most cases though, staying at such altitudes for just a few hours is no problem.
