How to reach the Junfraujoch, top of Europe and explore the glacier!

I have wanted to visit the Jungfraujoch for a while now. Sean and I often visit the Jungfrau region for snowboarding and hiking but I had never reached the Top of Europe. Determined to visit, Sean surprised me tickets to visit this iconic destination on one of our anniversaries. I am no stranger to mountain peaks, long gondola rides and unique train trips so I was apprehensive to see if the Jungfrau panorama would live up to my high expectations.

We arrived at the train station in the early morning. Backpacks full of snacks and equipment, I had those pre adventure nerves in my stomach as we walked to the Grindelwald Terminal. This is where your journey will start. We had pre booked our tickets so we wandered leisurely onto the Eiger Express gondola. In just 15 minutes we were at the Eiger Glacier Station, we grabbed coffee at the café and headed to the train platform.

Through The Mountain

“This only fueled my excited for what was to come, Eismeer is like the trailer teasing you to want more and the Jungfrau panorama is a full feature length movie you never want to end!

Next was our 7km train journey through the mountain, for the first 10 minutes you can marvel at the epic view as the train climbs up the mountain, gaining altitude with each turn of the wheels but then darkness hits as the train enters the Eiger mountain tunnel. The tunnel was carved into the mountain from 1896 to 1912 and is a mind blowing feat of engineering. As the train rolls through the mountain the anticipation of the views to come are overwhelming. With each minute the suspense builds until finally the train stopped, still in darkness I was wondering if we had reached the top but no, there is a station inside the mountain called Eismeer. Stopping for just five minutes I rushed out of the train, Sean closely followed behind to see windows carved out of the rock, the views were immense. We were only at 3160 meters but wow the views were like nothing I’d ever seen before. This only fueled my excited for what was to come, Eismeer is like the trailer teasing you to want more and the Jungfrau panorama is a full feature length movie you never want to end!

Back in my window seat on the train, Sean held my hand as the temperature started to drop you could feel the window glass getting colder as the train pulled up at our final destination. The train station is actually located inside the mountain as well as multiple tunnels housing different activities. Firstly we headed to the 360 degree experience, a room full of projections of the mountain ranges that await you. Next we walked through the “Alpine Sensation” and onto the Ice Place. The whole station felt like an amusement park with activities around each corner. The ice palace was my personal favorite, walking through a glacier with ice all around isn’t something you experience everyday.

Before heading on our hike we took a lift to the Sphinx observation deck, the lift takes you 108 meters in 25 seconds. The views from the top were indescribable … its simply another world and one everyone must experience.

Hiking To The Monchsjoch Hut

Still in awe of where we were, we headed out of the station and onto the snow for a hike to the Monchsjoch Hut. Snow boots on and walking poles at the ready, we headed out across the glacier. The sun beamed down on us and the air was thin but the views were magnificent. I was hiking across a glacier in the heart of Switzerland in the sunshine with the love of my life … I don’t think it gets much better than this! After around 45 minutes of intense walking we saw the Monchsjoch Hut in the distance, this marked the end of our hike. We walked a little further to find a rock to sit on whilst having our picnic I had packed that morning.

Heading Home

We slowly wandered back to the station, stopping 100’s of times to take photos and videos of the surrounding peaks. This place is so special, the photographs don’t do it justice.

As we boarded the train heading down to beautiful Grindelwald I couldn’t help but feel like this was a once in a life time experience and one I will never forget. I will forever look up at the mountain and remember the time I hiked across its glacier and danced on its snow covered peak.

I will mention vising the Jungfraujoch can be costly (one ticket can cost 200chf) However for me this experience was unforgettable and well worth the expense. There are ways you can get the ticket at a reduced price so if you plan on visiting keep an eye out for special discounts on their website. Also if you have a swiss pass you can get the ticket with a 25% discount and a regional travel pass also gets you a good reduced rate.

Overall I would recommend visiting the Jungfraujoch to anyone, it feels like you have entered another world when you step out onto the crisp snow at 3454 meters above sea level. For a moment you can truly immerse yourself in the surroundings, taking in the views of the 4000 meter peaks that surround you.

Emily