By Beverly Mann
If there's a heaven, it must look something like this, I thought. I was riding on Europe's highest-altitude railway, a technological feat masterminded by Swiss entrepreneur Adolph Guyer-Zeller and built in 1912. His dream took 16 years to become a reality and cost many lives. This year, the Jungfrau Railway celebrates its 100th anniversary.
Outside my window were dramatic snow-capped peaks towering more than 11,000 feet against an azure sky. The bright-red cogwheel train had inched its way past fragrant pine forests and rolling farmlands into a majestic mountain range that seemed too perfect to be real.
The 1 1/2-hour stunning train journey involves passing through a dark tunnel carved into the face of the notorious Eiger Mountain, where many a climber has tested fate and only a few have survived. Our two stops consisted of Eigerwand (Eiger Wall), with panoramic views of the Eiger's North Face and the storybook town of Grindelwald, where just a day before I had zip-lined down its First Mountain and walked through fields of wildflowers in a mountainous wonderland. Our second stop at Eismeer (Sea of Ice) took me up to a massive glacier that seemed to stretch into infinity.
Once atop at the Jungfrau station, I visited the Sphinx Observation Platform to look out over what looked like endless ice. I enjoyed lunch at the nearby restaurant and then visited the must-see Ice Palace, a frozen tunnel walkway adorned with creative ice carvings from seals to Disney characters.
On the return trip back, my travel companion and I stopped at the Eigergletscher station (7,612 feet) for the newly opened Jungfrau Eiger Walk, which took us through green alpine meadows emblazoned with wildflowers and memories of the courageous mountaineers who attempted to climb the challenging Eiger North Face. Memorabilia was displayed throughout our 55-minute trek at the historic Mittellegi Hut, and farther down the trail, at a structure shaped like a small church, the various climbing routes of the North Face were displayed. Before reaching the Kleine Scheidegg Station, there was the aquamarine Fallbodensee Reservoir, where rocks were carved with the names and dates of all the climbers who died on their climb from the 1930s to the present. Seeing these rocks made an impact, contrasting the thrill of adventure in this region to stark reality.
As awe-inspiring as my rail journey was, it was the two car-free towns nestled against the ridges and cliffs at the foot of the Jungfrau that punctuated this scenic splendor. From Kleine Scheidegg, I took the train to Wengen, where the Jungfrau Marathon, the world's most picturesque race, passes through on its way from Interlaken via Lauterbrunnen. From my window at the charming 19th-century Hotel Regina I had spectacular views of the Jungfrau. The hotel is literally a four-minute walk to the station. It was nice to have my baggage waiting for me in my room, a service that the Swiss railway offers to passengers coming from another town.
The staff is quite hospitable. Ariane and Guido Meyer have been the owners since 1984, and they pay close attention to detail. Guests don't have to leave for dinner with two fine restaurants in house: the more reasonable Jack's Brasserie and the upscale Chez Meyer's.
My dinner at the nearby Hotel Baron featured dishes with ingredients straight from the owner's garden. I savored a rump steak with fresh spinach and polenta. Afterward, I walked off my dinner along a tree-lined pathway that took me through a hillside lined by resort-style hotels and then down to a modest church below. Here I sat on one of the outside benches and watched the lights flicker in distant homes that were set in a backdrop of chiseled snow-capped mountains.
The next morning, with Swiss Rail Pass in hand, I took the small train to the dollhouse town of Murren and the Hotel Alpenruh. Only reached via cable car, Murren is what fairytales are made of — a tiny village cushioned in a mountain range with deep green valleys below. It is not unusual to spot several hang gliders floating through the cloudless sky and enjoying the magical surroundings.
On the cable ride up from Murren to the revolving Piz Gloria Restaurant of Schilthorn I was able to view 200 peaks and all three magnificent mountain ranges simultaneously: The Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau. No wonder they decided to film the James Bond classic, "On Her Majesty's Secret Service," here.
It seemed like heaven.
WHEN YOU GO
Rail Europe offers Swiss train passes to go to Grindelwald, Murren, Wengen and Lauterbrunnen and cable rides — except for the Jungfrau train and cable to Schilthorn, which require separate passes. With a Swiss Pass you get a 25 percent to 50 percent reduction on the ticket prices up to Schilthorn and Jungfraujoch — the top of Europe: www.raileurope.com.
The Jungfrau Railways Pass is valid for six consecutive days for unlimited travel on the route network of the Jungfrau. The pass is on sale from May through Oct. 31. The cost is approximately $200.
Jungfrau Railways Ltd.: www.jungfrau.ch
For further information about the Jungfrau Region: www.my Jungfrau.ch
Schilthorn Cableways, Ltd.: www.schilthorn.ch
Hotel Regina, Wengen: www.hotelregina.ch
Hotel Alpenruh, Murren: www.alpenruh-muerren.ch/en/
Hotel Eiger, Grindelwald: www.eiger-grindelwald.ch
Beverly Mann is a freelance travel writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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