The Jungfrau Railway to the "Top of Europe"
Our excursion today is one of the highlights of any visit to the
Bernese Oberland, as we travel through snowcovered meadows and
winter ski resorts before boarding the Jungfrau Railway to
Jungfraujoch - Europe's highest railway station at 11,333 feet
(3,454 m). The route from Interlaken takes us firstly to
Lauterbrunnen on the Bernese Oberland Railway. This
narrow-gauge line was opened to the public in 1890, and is 12 miles
in length. Over the course of the route we pass snowy forests,
charming wooden chalets and attractive farming cabins. At
Lauterbrunnen, the Wengeralp Railway runs to Kleine Scheidegg. Due
to the steep area through which the railway runs, the line is
actually the world's longest continuous rack railway, and on this
particular stretch of the route, the views are absolutely
outstanding. The final section of the journey is on the famous
Jungfrau Railway itself, which runs the remaining six
miles to just below the peak of the Jungfrau Mountain. This
distinctive string of red and yellow carriages sets out across the
wintry landscape, passing through meadows covered in a layer of
snow, before approaching the base of the mountain itself. Much of
the line is in a tunnel with huge windows carved into the rock,
looking out to the infamous north face of the Eiger, and providing
spectacular views down to the valley below. On emerging from the
tunnel the train arrives at Jungfraujoch - known as the 'Top of
Europe'. We have plenty of free time at the summit to enjoy the
incredible views over the Alps. We also visit the Aletsch Glacier,
a 12-mile river of ice, with its labyrinth of ice caves and
sculptures carved inside. We return to Interlaken via the mountain
resort of Grindelwald, before continuing to Meiringen.
Includes:- Breakfast, Dinner
- Jungfrau Express
