photo: Archives/Railway
Jungfraujoch, is Europe's highest railway station and it is a real experience for tourists. It stands at an altitude of 3.454 meters above sea level and is often called the Top of Europe. It is said that every Swiss should visit it there at least once in a lifetime.
The initiator of the construction of this railway was the Zurich industrialist Adolf Guyer-Zeller. His goal was to bring the high peaks of the local mountains closer to the people. The investment in the construction of the line required then about 15 million francs. Nevertheless, Zeller believed that this investment would pay off, and even more so that it would still bring him a profit. To this day, it turns out that he was right, because the railway still makes money. Wondering how it is possible that someone in pure nature of the Alps allowed such a construction? Zeller first had to donate 100,000 francs to the Jungfraujoch Observatory. The construction of the railroad was supposed to take 12 years, but due to bad weather it was extended for another four years. However, this story has a sad end, because Zeller did not see the completion of this magnificent building. He died in 1899.
The track was opened August 8th, 1912 on occasion of the Swiss national day. It was electrified from the beginning and some of the electricity is even made by the trains themselves. Three trains going to the valley will produce enough electricity for the fourth, which goes to the top.
They say, that the ideal time to visit this track is in the morning. At that time, the most beautiful views of the landscape are to be seen. The train enters the Interlaken Ost Station, which lies at an altitude of 657 meters. Subsequently, a total of three trains continue. The first is blue-yellow and is called the Berner Oberland Bahn. This train still has a regular gauge and will take you to the Lauterbrunnen in 30 minutes.
There it is necessary to change for the second train, which is yellow-green and is called the Wenger Alp Bahn. It has a gauge of 80 centimeters and its destination is the Kleine Scheidegg. A large climb is already starting on the route of this train. It runs through the valley of waterfalls and around the ski resort of Wengen. There is also a beautiful view of the snow-capped mountains Jungfrau, Mönch and Eiger.
The last part of the route must be completed with a red and yellow cogwheel called the Jungfrau Bahn. It departs from an altitude of 2.061 meters and during its journey it overcomes the elevation of 1.400 meters. The road to Europe's highest railway station also includes a ten-kilometers long tunnel through the Eiger and Mönch massifs.
At the end of our journey, at the highest station in Europe, the Jungfraujoch, is a complex of railway stations, restaurants, shops and an ice palace. Everything is buried in rocks and ice. There is also a tunnel through which you can walk to the surface and go on a glacier hike.
The Swiss are really proud of this place. During this trip, tourists can admire both Swiss technical art and views of the countryside. The station building has been inscribed on the UNESCO list and the railway is one of the technical gems of Europe.