On the way to the top of the world

The train ride in Switzerland was wonderfully scenic, as we went from our hotel in Basel to Interlaken, up the mountain to Grindelwald, Kleine Scheidegg, and back down through Lauterbrunnen. At Kleine Scheidegg, we took another train up to the highest elevation in Europe, the Jungfraujoch.

To get all the way up to the top, you take a cogwheel railway up to Kleine Scheidegg. Then you buy a ticket for another train that goes through the Eiger mountain tunnel to two stations at Eigerwand and Eismeer, with a five minute stop at each. On a beautiful day, there is spectacular sightseeing through large observation windows cut into the rock. The day we were there, we saw a white out. We feared the 80euro charge to get to the top would be a waste, but once we got to the top, there was no doubt of its worth.

The Aletsch Glacier, at 22 km the longest ice-stream in the Alps, begins on the Jungfraujoch. There are several restaurants and shops, and indoor and outdoor viewpoints.

We shared the train down the mountain with a local. We had to stop at one station for 20 minutes, and he seemed to have arranged a meeting with a friend and had a nice chat while we waited.