Switzerland is famous for many things, like its majestic mountain scenery, beautiful Alpine meadows, fabulous skiing and, of course, its chocolate. There is another feature though which Switzerland can add to its list of tourist attractions, and that is the highest train station in Europe.
The Highest Railway Station in Europe
At 3,454 metres (11,332 feet) Jungfraujoch railway station is also known as The Top of Europe. The station is nestled between the peaks of the Monch and the Jungfrau mountains in central Switzerland and boasts spectacular views over the Great Aletsch Glacier and the Bernese Alps. On reaching the station you can walk out onto the viewing platform to take in the breathtaking vistas or explore the Ice Museum, a series of tunnels and rooms carved into the glacier and filled with ornate ice sculptures. For those with a serious head for heights there’s a lift which rises a further 117 metres inside the mountain to the Sphinx Observatory, home to another viewing platform and a scientific observatory. To help you deal with the frosty temperatures outside the Jungfraujoch also has cafés and restaurants surrounded by picture windows where you can sit and admire the peaks whilst tucking in to something warm. Although at this height altitude sickness can start to affect you, so it may be best to leave the warming glass of brandy until you’ve headed back down.
The Jungfrau cog railway to the Sphinx Obseratory
The only way to get to the Top of Europe is on the cog railway which twists up through 7.3 km (4.5 miles) of tunnels carved into the mountain. The tunnel was thought up by Adolf Guyer-Zeller, in 1893, and his original plan was to have 7 stations within the tunnel, culminating at what is now the Sphinx Observatory. Construction began in 1896 and lasted for 16 years but his target was never reached in the way he had planned. A series of accidents, lack of funding and the death of Guyer-Zeller himself eventually halted construction of the tunnel where it ends today, at the Jungfraujoch, with only 2 stops inside the tunnel. The train stops at both stations, Eigerwand and Eismeer, for 5 minutes to allow travellers to leave the carriage and walk into the tunnel where you can peer through the huge windows carved out of the rock. These giant openings aren’t just there for the views though and throughout the year mountain rescue crews use them as emergency exit doors from which to launch search and rescue missions for people trapped on the peaks outside. Ice scrapers are always left next to the windows because the tunnel is permanently cold and they frequently frost over.
Swiss railway transport to the Jungfraujoch
The Jungfrau railway starts in earnest at Kleine Scheidegg station, at the foot of the notorious Eiger north wall before climbing into the tunnel. Swiss rail transport is just as efficient as you would imagine and reaching Kleine Scheidegg is simple, with trains departing regularly from Interlaken and other intermediate stations. Accommodation is also easy to come by here and the area boasts a huge variety, ranging from budget conscious hostels to luxurious 5 star resorts. Depending on your personal taste you could rent your own chalet in the peaceful countryside or hole up in a chic hotel in the ski resorts of Grindlewald or Interlaken to sample the nightlife.
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