Jungfrau – David Kotz

Grindelwald – Jungfraujoch

A morning visit to the highest train station in Europe – and a stroll across the snowfields at 12,000′.

On our fourth day in Grindelwald we took two hikes. We spent the morning visiting Jungfraujoch, which (despite its intensely touristy nature) is an incredible place to visit. It is the highest train station in Europe, serving a structure that perches on a pinnacle at 3571m (11,716′) above sea level, adjacent to the snowfields surrounding the 4000m Alpine mountains of Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. In this post I share a few impressions – and a gallery of photos of our walk across the snowfield to the hut at Mönchsjochütte, on an astonishingly gorgeous day.

People stream out across the snowfield from Jungfraujoch (on the rocky pinnacle).

Wengen sunrise

A beautiful morning view from Wengen.

On Friday morning I woke early at our hotel in Wengen, a small village overlooking the Lauterbrunnen valley, and walked to the Mönchblick viewpoint as the sun was illuminating the high peaks. I waited almost an hour for it to reach down into Lauterbrunnen before heading back to breakfast. I was treated to a spectacular view of major peaks like Mönch and Jungfrau, and their neighbors Silberhorn and Breithorn, as well as the pretty town of Lauterbrunnen down in the valley, with its famous Staubbach Falls glistening in the morning sunlight. Be sure to check out the gallery, because the small photo here will not do that morning any justice.

Morning view of Mönch, Jungfrau, Breithorn peaks. and Wengen and Lauterbrunnen villages, from Mönchblick viewpoint, Wengwald.

First, Grindelwald

Sometimes you need to close the laptop, grab a camera, hop a train, and head for the mountains.

Today we took the train (actually three trains, a bus, and a tram) from Zürich to Grindelwald, in central Switzerland… and then the gondola up to ‘First’, where there is a panoramic view of the Jungfrau region. On this blue-sky day, with no clouds and no wind, it was truly spectacular.

Wetterhorn (left) and Schreckhorn (center), from First... above Grindelwald.

Check out the photo gallery… what a day!!

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