In addition to visiting the city of Zurich, my trip to the small mountainous country had a very specific reason: to meet Jungfrau, an alp whose top is considered the highest point in all of Europe.
At 4,158 meters high, don’t think that you would need to be a climber to get to the tip of this mountain. As this attraction is in Switzerland, yes, it is possible to arrive by train.
Here is my experience:
How to get there
To go to Jungfrau first, it is necessary to reach Interlaken, a beautiful village where 5,319 people overlooking the Alps. There, you can find a number of hotels, hostels, cafes, and restaurants.
Train prices from Zurich to Interlaken vary from 20 to 60 euros each way depending on the time and season. During the price research, the Bla Bla Car seemed to be the golden dream, it would only cost 10 euros each way. The driver who offered the trip had an excellent rating and dozens of positive comments.
Daniel arrived, and we started the trip for almost two hours, and you can’t even feel it. As soon as I got in the car, he offered a Rivella, the soda that apparently all Swiss people love and that he swears to be milk-based, despite the fact that, in my taste, it comes out with a mixture of tea and guarana with beer. But it’s worth a try.
Interlaken
On the way, Daniel was very kind and explained curiosities about the culture in the country, stories, and even a base about the geographic formation of that region of crystalline green waters. The color of the water, by the way, is not a mere chance. Fruit of melting ice and a variety of organic substances that descend from the mountains, any lagoon is a stunning backdrop for photos.
When I reached the final destination, I got awestruck. The hostel I stayed in is in front of the main square in the city center. There, there is a point with paragliding that, mixed with the birds and the mountains in the background, forms a perfect movie scenario.
Route to the top
There are two train stations in the city of Interlaken. To go to Jungfrau you need to leave from the station called Interlaken Ost (West in German). Right there it is possible to buy the tickets. It is important to note that there is no direct train and it is necessary to make at least two transfers to get to the top.
However, there is a whole system of railway lines that makes the journey not only from Interlaken to Jungfrau but also gives access to several other film sets and villages that are cute in the summer and become a ski resort in winter.
For those who don’t have much money, there is a secret that helps save some euros when buying a pass to the top of Europe. That’s because the standard ticket price for getting to and from Jungfrau is 210 euros. However, if you board the first two trains in the morning (around 6:30 am and 7 am), the price drops to 85 euros. It’s called Good Morning Tickets, the only difference is that you need to get off the Jungfrau viewpoint. But you can, in the same way, take advantage of the train lines, get off and on at all other stops with no time limit.
Leaving Interlaken, there are two possible ways to reach the top:
1- Interlaken – Grindelwald – Kleine Scheidegg – Jungfrau
2- Interlaken – Lauterbrunnen – Kleine Scheidegg – Jungfrau
Most people will recommend you to go to Grindelwald and return to Lauterbrunnen. And they are right. This is because the first city, despite being charming, does not have many attractions, unlike Lauterbrunnen which is a magical place permeated by waterfalls, and you can also stop in the neighboring villages that also take its place.
Regardless of the route you choose, the transfer at Kleine Scheidegg station is mandatory, not only because it is important for the continuity of the route, but because the place will provide you with a breathtaking view with the feeling of being, in these words, at the foot of the alps.
Take advantage of the fact that you are there to do some of the trails that exist between one village and another (many people stop doing certain train stretches to make it walking on a path of very low difficulty), or just sit on some of the benches and enjoy it.
Jungfrau
Just before the train reaches the mountain top, there is a small five-minute stop where you can go out to watch the ice on the mountain through glass or go to the bathroom. There, it is already possible to feel and see the snow up close even in the height of summer, and it is also there that you can start putting on the jackets that were in your backpack (yes, you will need snow clothes even in August).
Once at the top, the viewpoint has quite a structure. You can choose from different activities, from visiting the Lindt store to visiting the ice palace (which is actually very cold) and very slippery and no, it has no handrail.
After having tried to enter the ice palace and leave it almost freezing and crawling, since there is nowhere to lean, I went to see the real snow right away. The first thing that happened? I stepped on it and slipped. I had already walked on snow and I had never seen it so slippery. Some said it was the summer’s fault and that the sun’s rays along the wind make the snow even more slippery as well as dirty. Others say only that it is because it is a glacier – of course.
Anyway, it was one of the most amazing travel experiences of my life. If you have the opportunity, just do it.