Beatenberg: Day 5 … Top of Europe

“Up here, with the view of the magnificent mountains, so close to the sky and nature, you become humble. You realize how small human beings are. And how important it is to take the utmost care of all this for future generations.” ~~ Lang Lang, Chinese Virtuoso Pianist … on the occasion of his performance at Jungfraujoch.

Advance Warning! Lots of words in this footprint.

Arriving at the Grindelwald Terminal, we went into the station after dropping off the shopping bags at the car. We had no idea what we were going to do now that the First hike was off the table, so to speak. We were looking for ideas. The webcam cameras at the station solved our dilemma … Jungfraujoch!

Hmmm! Blue skies and sunshine + a UNESCO-listed site — in this case, the World Natural Heritage site of “Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch” … comprised of a massive glacier that is the longest in Europe and the ‘triumvirate of Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau’ … in the most-glaciated area of the Alps. What’s not to like? Bonus … our SHFCs would make the ticket price much more palatable (approximately $150pp instead of twice that amount). Let’s go!

Jungfraujoch translates from German as the “Maiden Saddle.” Huh? Well, in the mountaineering world, a saddle is “the lowest point of a ridge between two peaks” … so named due to its resemblance to a horse saddle. This is the simplest explanation I found on the web that did not include words such as anticline, drainage divide, reference axis, etc., etc.

In the case of Jungfraujoch, the saddle — at 11,333 feet (3,454m) above sea level — connects the Jungfrau and the Mönch, two of the peaks of the Swiss Alps that are over 13,000 feet (4,000m) … and one must first traverse the north face of the Eiger to get to it.

Jungfraujoch is billed as the “Top of Europe.” At first, that seems like false advertising. After all, the mountains on either side of the saddle are higher. And more, there are even higher mountains in Europe … Mont Blanc, for one. Turns out that the “top” reference here is to the Jungfrau Railway, Europe’s highest railway line … which has made the saddle accessible to visitors since 1912.

Our journey started with a cable car ride … Eiger Express … considered the most modern tri-cable gondola in the world. The glass-enclosed spacious cabin afforded us beautiful views during the 15-minute ascent to the Eigergletscher Station … at about 7,600 feet (2,320m). We did not dally at this station as it was already 2:00p. Instead, we continued our journey by rail.

The Jungfrau Railway is a cogwheel system. The ride is 26 minutes long … with a 5-minute stop at Eismeer Station at 10,400 feet (3,160m). This is an enclosed viewing terrace — a window looking out from the Eiger, if you will. I had read that there were better views at the saddle — without a glass barrier. So, we did not detrain. The track follows three tunnels that have been dug through the Eiger and the Mönch … no scenery along the way. That we were literally traveling through rocks that began forming the Alps 35–20 million years ago was what made the journey exciting.

We detrained at the top station to find the building packed … people were shuffling along, nearly shoulder to shoulder, to get where they were going. Quite disheartening. But having come this far, we persevered.

As it was getting on towards 3:00p, we decided to grab a bite to eat before the dining facilities closed. We would have dined al fresco on the terrace, but it was closed due to falling icicles! Instead, we went to Crystal for table service dining … with the views we had come to enjoy front and center. Amazing. The food was good too … rösti with vegetables and Swiss Alpkäse [Alpine cheese] for me; grilled salmon fillet with teriyaki glazed veggies and wild rice for Mui.

Our decision to eat first was fortuitous. By the time we left the restaurant, the packed crowds were gone. Some to catch trains back down to the village; others to participate in outdoor ‘winter-activities-in-the-summer’. Time to take advantage of our Jungfraujoch ticket inclusions … the “Discovery Tour,” a series of attractions within a circular tunnel that leads visitors deep into the glacier.

First up would have been the 360° Camera … a room filled with panoramic views of the mountains. Sounded great … except for the part of the description that read, “… Visitors race with the camera through clouds, sink into ice crevices or fall into heaps of snow.” Nope … don’t need to trigger my vertigo. We moved on.

The Sphinx Terrace at the observatory was next on our route. A 25-second elevator ride took us up 108 feet (33m) to reach the glassed-in hall and the open platform for expansive views. The 15-mile long Aletsch Glacier wound down between some of the highest peaks of the Alps … like a pale blue ribbon, trimmed with black moraine ridges. Signs around the platform identified what we were seeing. I had to look up the significance of an area on the glacier that was named Concordia Platz. Turns out that it is the confluence where three other glaciers join the Aletsch Glacier … also where, at nearly 3,000 feet (900m), the glacier is the thickest. It was quite cold on the terrace, but the sun made the gloves and wool caps we’d brought with us superfluous. The ball caps, however, came in handy for cutting down the glare of the sun on the snow and ice.

Riding the elevator back down, we went out to the Aletsch Glacier itself. From here visitors can access various activities … such as heli flightseeing, snow tubing, zip lining, skiing, and snowboarding. All for a price, of course. The 3-mile hike to reach the highest serviced hut in Switzerland also starts nearby. We might have attempted the latter as I imagine that this hut on the Mönch is a lovely spot for a meal or a hot beverage. It was already 4:30p, however, so we were happy to just take advantage of the comfy deck chairs to sit and enjoy the scenery and relax for a bit.

Re-entering the tunnel, we continued to the Alpine Sensation trail. The immersive experience started out with a giant snow globe. We then found ourselves on a moving walkway that had us traveling through time, starting in the 19th century when the railway project was first launched. Images projected on the tunnel wall gave us insight into the challenges that had to be overcome. Our steps also took us past a memorial wall for those who died building the building of the Jungfrau Railway … a reminder of the human cost of what we were enjoying.

Next up was the Ice Palace … carved directly into the glacier by mountaineers in the 1930s. It was reminiscent of stepping inside an ice cave. I loved the undulating texture of the walls and the ice bricks used in other places. Being inside a glacier, there was ice all around us, including the ceiling of the tunnel and underfoot. To ensure the ice doesn’t melt, the temperature is kept at a frosty 26.6F (-3C). With no sun to mitigate the temperature, our layers were most welcome. We enjoyed the sculpture of critters … penguins and polar bears and more; cartoon critters encased in ice blocks here and there in the walls. But the pièce de résistance was the pianist/piano sculpture … an homage to Chinese pianist Lang Lang’s 2022 Jungfraujoch solo performance.

Our final stop on the Discovery Tour was the Glacier Plateau that once again took us out on the ice. WOW! Just WOW! Spectacular! Breathtaking! Words that are overused but appropriate to the panoramic views we enjoyed from this vantage point. And from here we were able to see the Sphinx Observatory.

It was 5:15p when we finally pulled ourselves away from the spectacular scenery that was so entrancing. A quick stop at the Lindt Chocolate Heaven shop was a must. And then it was time to catch the next-to-the-last-train back down to the Eigergletscher Station. Towards the end of the ride, the conductor came around, offering passengers a ‘chocolate thank you’ … Lindt, of course. The scenic gondola ride from Eigergletscher to Grindelwald concluded our day.

We encountered wet roads on the drive back home … in the Lauterbrunnen Valley, as well as Interlaken and Beatenberg. But nary a drop fell on us. Our decision to go to Jungfraujoch had kept us from experiencing the rain first hand. That we went late in the day came with the added bonus that there were no lines to contend with by the time we started the Discovery Tour … something we appreciated all the more after talking to several people on the train who mentioned waiting in interminable lines earlier in the day.

At home, a misty but beautiful Lake Thun view encouraged us to have our wine and snacks on the balcony. As we move on from Beatenberg tomorrow, we were grateful for Mother Nature’s consideration.

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*** SHFC Reconciliation (PER PERSON): CHF 120 outlay … we are no longer in the red! With today’s visit to Jungfraujoch, the card is paid off and we are CHF 35.30 ahead of the game. YAY!Read more