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Jungfrau is the highest point one can reach by train in Europe. The base town before one visits Jungfrau is Interlaken, a small picturesque town in Switzerland. One is not prepared to witness the amazing scenic beauty of the Alps. The colour green stretches out as far as one can see, broken only by strong and sturdy houses, which appears at some distance rather than in clusters. We took the route: Interlaken Ost — Lauterbrunnen — Kleine Scheidegg — Jungfraujoch — and started early morning. Kleine Scheidegg is also a popular destination for skiing enthusiasts. The skiing equipment is available on rent for around 30 franc per hour. After the journey from Grindelwald to Klein Schedig, we started the last mile journey to Jungfrau. Jungfrau railway network pioneered this part of the railway network in 1912. The train trundles through the magnificent countryside and coil across mountain pastures and finally go through six km of tunnel dug deep into the Eiger, emerging at Jungfraujoch. At 3454 m, just under the Jungfrau summit, this is Europe’s highest train station. The journey is not
cheap, but well worth the unforgettable mountain experience. It is in
this tunnel that the climax of hit Bollywood movie, Gadar was
shot. Switzerland and Bollywood have a strong connection, with the
latter having been featured in innumerable Hindi films like Darr
and Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge. It is probably an ode to this
link between the two that Jungfrau actually has a Bollywood
restaurant, complete with posters of Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol and Sunny
Deol. However, the restaurant operates only during the season that is
from April to October and closes during the winter months.
The most important stretch is the last seven-km-long tunnel through the rock of the Eiger and Monch. Two intermediate stations, Eigerwant and Eismeer are situated in caverns blasted from solid rock. Both have panorama windows which give a breathtaking view of the Alps. Once you reach Jungfrau, it takes a little while to get used to the thin air and may feel lightheaded initially. Also, during summer, do not forget to wear sunglasses as the glare can be quite strong. As you climb the Sphinx Tunnel, you are amazed to see that it took 16 years of construction to build the train which brought you there. The Sphinx Tunnel leads to an elevator, which rises 107 m to an observation deck. You would be able to see the saddle between the Monch and Jungfrau peaks and also visible is the Aletsch Glacier, a 23 km river of ice. The snow melts into Lake Geneva and flows to the Mediterranean. Don’t miss out on the famed Eispalast (ice palace), where you can take a walk through the caverns hewn from the slowest-moving section of the glacier, 19 metres below the surface. These were started by a Swiss guide in 1934 and have been enlarged and embellished over the years. Ice sculptures range from vintage automobiles and local chaplains. During the winters, the temperature outside the Sphinx tower drops to as low as –25`BAC but you won’t feel it inside. There are three restaurants to chose from offering Indian and continental cuisine. There are also some curio shops selling the handicraft items and Swiss souvenirs. Jungfrau is not just a
marvel of nature; it is also a symbol of human endurance, of spirit of
making something out of nothing. The ice palace and the train itself
are a spectacle of the human spirit. It is also a place where the
harshness and beauty of nature co-exist peacefully with man-made
luxury.
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