Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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Jungfraujoch
The literal high point of any trip to the Swiss Alps is a train ride through the Eiger to the
Jungfraujoch (the saddle between the Mönch and Jungfrau mountains). At 11,300 feet, it's
Europe's highest train station. (If you have a heart or lung condition, you may want to check
with your doctor before making this ascent.)
Ascending to the Jungfraujoch:
Train runs all year to the Jungfraujoch from Lauter-
brunnen (166 SF round-trip) and from Kleine Scheidegg (112 SF round-trip). The first trip
of the day to the Jungfraujoch is discounted—ask for a Good Morning Ticket and leave
the top by 12:30 (first train from Lauterbrunnen—130 SF, leaves about 7:00; from Kleine
Scheidegg—90 SF, leaves about 8:00; Nov-April you can get Good Morning rates for the
first or second train and return any time that day; confirm all times and prices, 25 per-
cent discount with Swiss Pass and Eurail Pass, railpass holders get a better deal than Good
Morning Ticket and can't combine discounts). Pick up a leaflet on the lifts at a local TI
(
www.jungfraubahn.ch
)
. If it's cloudy, skip the trip; for a terse trilingual weather forecast
from the Jungfraujoch, call 033-828-7931.
The ride from Kleine Scheidegg takes about an hour (sit on the right side for better
views), including two five-minute stops at stations actually halfway up the notorious North
FaceoftheEiger.Youhavetimetolookoutwindowsandmarvelathowpeoplecouldclimb
the Eiger—and how the Swiss built this train track more than a hundred years ago. The
secondhalfoftheridetakesyouthroughatunnelinsidetheEiger(somenewertraincarsrun
multilingual videos about the history of the train line).
At the Top:
Once you reach the top, study the Jungfraujoch chart to see your options
(many of them are weather-dependent). There's a restaurant, a history exhibit, an “ice
palace” (a cavern with a gallery of ice statues), and a 20-minute video that plays continu-
ously.Atunnelleadsoutside,whereyoucansummerski(33SFforgearandliftticket),sled
(free loaner discs with a 5-SF deposit), or hike an hour across the ice to Mönchsjochhütte
(a mountain hut with a small restaurant). An elevator leads to the Sphinx observatory for
the highest viewing point, from which you can see the Aletsch Glacier—Europe's longest,
at nearly 11 miles—stretch to the south. Remember that your body isn't used to such high
altitudes. Signs posted at the top remind you to take it easy.
You can combine one of the best hikes in the region—from Männlichen to Kleine
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