A Swiss Story - Travelling To The Top of Europe

Europe's best mountains lie in the Alpine state of Switzerland, a country that boasts of the whitest peaks and the most picturesque landscapes. However, Switzerland stands apart for another reason - the Swiss know just how to civilise the mountain tops. They introduce connectivity to inaccessible regions, ensuring high tourist activity and stunning Alpine experiences. Perhaps the most visited of all is the Jungfraujoch, a saddle connecting the Mönch and Eiger peaks in the Bernese Oberland.

I travelled to this very place during the month of May in 2018 for the third time and was not disappointed. It seemed all new. Scores of tourists were flocking to Jungfraujoch, all riding the train right up into the tunnel. The old Bollywood restaurant was still serving hot Indian food while the open area and glacier park looked as thrilling as ever.

To reach the Jungfrau region, one must take the train from Lauterbrunnen station in the valley. It is a beautiful place, this valley - and being close to Interlaken, it can be easily accessed by bus or train. On one side, the mighty Trümmelbach Falls thunder over Stechelberg, while the Jungfrau region peeps out from behind the nearby hills. This town would have been the typical sleepy Swiss settlement if not for its station. It is in the station that trains originate for the Jungfraujoch. A few metres from the entrance to the station, a bus waits to take tourists to Stechelberg to experience a different mountain, the Schilthorn (shooting location for James Bond film - In Her Majesty's Secret Service).

Green and yellow trains periodically depart Lauterbrunnen, winding their way up a steep railway track, stopping occasionally at a station on the way. The only major stop however is at Wengen, halfway on the route. After Wengen, the scenery automatically changes. Small mounds of snow litter the forests on both sides of the train, as it climbs steadily up the slope. As one keeps observing the pretty picture outside the window, it gradually transforms. Suddenly, it is no more just a few mounds, but thick, white snow that forms most of the landscape, while pine trees form silhouettes beyond the Jungfrau mountains.

The green train finally pulls into Kleine Scheidigg, the last station on it's route. After this, the only way to go further is by using the Jungfrau Railway, operating small red trains right up to the Jungfraujoch.

It would be tempting to be given a chance to gaze at the white paradise outside the window, but the red train moves into a tunnel right after departing Kleine Scheidigg, blocking the Swiss mountains out of view. This is compensated by two or three pit stops on the way at two viewing platforms. The first one is Eigergletscher, the second Eigerwand and the last one is Eismeer before the train pulls into the terminal at Jungfraujoch.

Arriving here, one may experience a slight difficulty in breathing, which is not unnatural at the fantastically high altitude this area is located in. Strenuous physical activity is therefore, discouraged.

Jungfraujoch is a hub of activity. Being an international tourist destination, it's never out of business. Competing with other Swiss peaks, it has emerged as the brand ambassador for Swiss tourism, sharing the place only with the Titlis, which earned fame for its revolving cable car, called the Rotair.

On the lower floors, Jungfraujoch hosts two restaurants, one of them being Bollywood, constructed for the large number of Indian tourists who flock here after the film industry with the same name introduced Switzerland to them. The other restaurant serves continental food.

The upper levels have an ice park, called the Ice Palace, which is basically a tunnel built out of ice, leading to an exhibition of ice sculptures. Near the Ice Palace, a visual open theater along with a lights and sound exhibition hall seek to educate tourists about the Jungfraujoch and pay tribute to the workers who lost their lives in attempting to complete the Jungfrau railway in sub zero temperatures. On the highest level, the mountain station opens out on to the saddle, where visitors can ski or simply tread in the snow. A little further away, a chain of open ski chairlifts take skiiers to the "Snow Fun Park" nearby.

The Swiss authorities hosted the highest cricket match in the world and the highest basketball match here in the "Snow Fun Park", and one can see clippings from those matches on the screens aboard the red trains. The service is operated between Jungfraujoch and Kleine Scheidigg after each half hour.

Tickets to the Jungfrau are not covered on the Swiss Railway Pass, so they need to be purchased here. The total time taken to visit may vary from two to five hours, depending upon the activities one may wish to participate in.