The Jungfraujoch ranks right up there among prime Switzerland high-altitude destinations. The sights on the way up alone are spectacular; on top await multiple attractions, and the mountain scenery will take your breath away!
Travel memo: Jungfraujoch
→ Year-round destination in the Bernese Highlands
→ Altitude: 3,454 meters (11,332 feet) a.s.l.
→ Getting there: From the Lauterbrunnen or Grindelwald villages via Kleine Scheidegg (more info below)
→ Places to eat: Table- and self-service restaurants available on the Jungfraujoch plateau
Today, Walter and I are once more heading to a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site: it’s the Jungfraujoch, the be-all and end-all destination high in the Bernese Oberland!
The way up
Just getting to the train station – the highest in Europe at over 11,000 feet – is a special experience all its own.
The nine-kilometer long track of the Jungfrau Railway is a pioneering achievement! From 1896 to 1912, it was carved into the mountain with the simplest of tools and in thin air. The whole story is told in informative displays on the Jungfraujoch.
From the Eigergletscher (English: Eiger Glacier) station the train runs practically the entire way through a 7-kilometer long tunnel underneath the Eiger mountain massif, so it doesn’t matter for sightseeing which side of the train car you sit on.
However – the view opens up dramatically when the train makes an intermediate stop at the Eismeer (“Sea of Ice”) station: it tarries there for a standard 5 minutes to let all passengers ooh and aah from behind the gigantic observation window hewed out of the rock.
The panorama is truly gigantic of the ice blocks making up the upper and lower Sea of Ice (officially, “Ischmeer” in the Bernese German dialect) with a view of the Schreckhorn mountain thrown in for good measure!
Things to see and do
Once we reach the end of the line, the sense of awe keeps building. A mesmerizing wonderland has been carved out of the ice, snow and rock up here.
We follow the signposted tour through a 250-meter (820 feet) long corridor through the ice where several featured attractions are on view.
First we come to an evocative picture gallery illustrating the construction of the Jungfrau Railway. Memorial plaques commemorate the workers who lost their lives in the mountains making the Jungfraujoch accessible to the world.
Sphinx summit and glacier plateau thrills
An ultra-fast lift next whisks us up to the observation platform atop the Sphinx – another 117 meters (380 feet) above the Jungfraujoch.
From the summit, a stupendous panorama spreads out before us of the majestic Aletsch Glacier and the surrounding Mönch and Jungfrau peaks.
The Aletsch Glacier with a surface area measuring just over 80 square kilometers (30 square miles) and 23 km (14 miles) long, is the largest and longest glacier in the Alps.
Just as spectacular is the Alpine panorama from the glacier plateau of the surrounding impressive mountainscape made up of Mönch, Aletschhorn, Kranzberg, Gletscherhorn, Rottalhorn, Jungfrau and Mathildenspitze.
The building on the Sphinx summit also houses the observatories of an international research station.
Glacier tunnel with enchanting ice palace
The tour of the man-made glacier tunnel next leads through an ice palace with enchanting sculptures of eagles, penguins, and bears carved from the ice by ice sculptors.
Riding up to the Jungfraujoch
You have several options for reaching the Jungfraujoch plateau by cable car and rack railway:
From Lauterbrunnen and Wengen villages:
From Lauterbrunnen, take the Wengernalpbahn rack railway to Kleine Scheidegg then change there to the Jungfrau Railway.
From Grindelwald village:
The most comfortable and quickest way is with the new “Eiger Express” aerial tram from the Grindelwald terminus: in a mere 15 minutes, it lofts visitors up in seated comfort in modern cabs to the Eigergletscher station. Transfer here to the Jungfrau Railway for the rest of the way to the Jungfraujoch.
Depending on the season, day of the week, and weather, a seat reservation (link to the Jungfraujoch website) is recommended. You can reserve both the Jungfrau Railway and the Eiger Express. The charge is CHF 10 per person one way.
In the winter of 2021/22, foreign tourists were scarce due to the pandemic, so it was possible to board without reservations.
How long to stay: Given the manifold attractions and the magical views, we recommend at least 2 hours for taking in all there is to see.
Add more time for your meal if you also plan to dine in the Jungfraujoch restaurant.
Prices
An adult ticket for the ride up to the Jungfraujoch from Grindelwald will set you back 95 Swiss francs with a half-fare card (as of March 2022).
But, you can always find special deals: for instance, we bought a discounted ticket at 79.- francs (with half-fare card) through a Swisspass offer.
Tip: Hike from Eiger Glacier to Kleine Scheidegg
Wishing to enjoy the sparkling weather even more, we combined part of the return trip with “Winter hike number 68“: We take the Jungfrau Railway from the Jungfraujoch down to the Eigergletscher station from which we hike to Kleine Scheidegg.
This winter hiking trail absolutely recommends itself, especially since it lets hikers get an eyeful of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau peaks trifecta.
The hike also offers views of the villages of Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Mürren and the Schilthorn peak topped by the Piz Gloria revolving restaurant.
For another worthwhile hike in the Jungfrau region, take hiking trail number 63 from Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg. It wends its way past the famed Eiger North Face.
Staying in Grindelwald
We overnighted in the stylish Boutique Hotel Glacier in Grindelwald during our Bernese Oberland excursion. The hotel is known for its outstanding design and offers spectacular views of the Eiger North Face..
Not to forget the hotel’s gourmet restaurant with 15 Gault Millau points!
