Day 16 - Sat 13 Sep 25: Interlaken (Jungfraujoch)

Sat 13 Sep 25: Interlaken (Jungfraujoch)

After a good sleep, we woke to a beautiful clear morning with stunning views up to Jungfrau and Mönsch from our bedroom balcony. Slightly out of view was the mighty Eiger as well. We had breakfast at 07:00, not that we needed it after the substantial, and very tasty, Indian dinner last night, but because we wanted something to get us through the day. Today a trip to Jungfraujoch. I planned different routes up and back to make the most of the experience, starting with a train from Interlaken Ost to Grindelwald Terminal, then we boarded the Eiger Express tricable gondola to the Eiger Glacier Station, then transfered to the Jungfrau Railway (a cogwheel train) to Jungfraujoch - the highest-altitude railway station in Europe (3,454m).

Stepping off the train, the first thing we noticed was the icy cold temperature which bit hard at the face, and the thin air. Two hours seemed such a long time, but it disappeared quickly, and I wished we could have stayed longer. Standing on one of the highest points in the Swiss Alps, walking through an ice cave and stepping onto a glacier, walking across snow, and the stunning panoramic views over the Alps and massive glaciers were experiences that we won't forget in a hurry. I keep saying that timing is everything, and today we timed our visit perfectly with the best possible weather we could have imagined. As I walked inside the station towards the end of our stay, the clouds rolled in and we could barely see 200m. Noel struggled with the thin air and extreme cold at first, but thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The only thing she couldn't manage was walking up a long tunnel and stepping outside onto the Great Aletsch Glacier - the largest and longest glacier in the Alps. The size of this glacier is just staggering. We had stunning views across the Alps for as far as the eye could see, including clear views of the 3 most famous peaks - Jungfrau, Eiger and Mönsch. After 2 hours, we began our return journey via a different route to Interlaken, firstly with a cogwheel train from the Jungfraujoch to Kleine Scheidegg where we switched to a train to Lauterbrunnen, then caught another train to Interlaken Ost. The short stop at Kleine Scheidegg looking up to the Alps was also magical. The return trip through the valley towns of Wengen and Lauterbrunnen allowed us to savour more of the beautiful classic Swiss landscape with waterfalls and alpine meadows at a more leisurely pace, rounding out the trip perfectly.

After 7 hours, we were back in Interlaken sitting at a coffee shop enjoying a long awaited caffeine fix and reflecting on the once in a lifetime experience. We eventually got back to our room, and I went out to do some washing at a laudromat, then we went out to dinner with John and Wendy and Phil and Glynis for our last night together on our Swiss Rail Tour. Tomorrow, we head to Milan by train where we are planning to catch up again with Robyn and Graham who are there until Monday. John and Wendy and Phil and Glynis are heading north to Scandinavia for a couple of weeks before they return home to Brisbane. It's been a memorable day.