Jungfrau Weekend

We are addicted to the mountains. Last Thursday, we noticed that the forecast for the weekend was clear and gorgeous, so we decided to spend the weekend in the Alps. And on Friday night we were at Olle and Maria’s B&B in the beautiful town of Gimmelwald, on the Schilthorn mountain. We were directly across the valley from the Jungfrau, and the view is amazing. You really have to look at our pictures to get an idea of what it was like.

Lautebrunnen ValleyJoe and I have actually been to Gimmelwald once before when we visited Switzerland in 2010. We loved it so much, we wanted to go back with the kids and make it our home base for our Jungfrau adventure. The only way to get to Gimmelwald is on a cable car that lifts you over the impressive cliffs of the Lauterbrunnen valley. My heart still skips a beat every time the cable car goes over the edge of the cliff on the way down, and I am suddenly looking down the sheer wall of the cliff several hundred meters to the valley floor.

On Saturday morning, we woke the kids early to begin our journey to the Jungfraujoch, the “Top of Europe.” It is the highest rail station in Europe at 3,454 meters (11,332 ft). The railway and station are 100 years old (or will be next August), making the ascent even more impressive. The views are incredible as you climb up the base of the mountains. Then, shortly after you pass the last town of Kleine Scheidegg, the train enters a 9km tunnel through the Eiger and Mönch mountains. The train station at the Jungfraujoch is actually inside the mountain.

[singlepic id=568 w=320 h=240 float=left]Once you arrive, there are several ways to take in the stunning landscape. We went up the elevator to the Sphinx, the highest viewpoint. We walked out onto the snowy plateau where we slipped and slid with all the other tourists. We looked out the panorama windows of the main building. And capped off the visit with a tour of the “Ice Palace,” a labyrinth of tunnels through an ice glacier filled with ice sculptures that the kids loved. It’s hard to describe how incredible it is to be at the top of the alps. Which is why it has become an international tourist destination, marked by hundreds of Asian tourists trying to take pictures of our children.

We stopped for lunch in Kleine Scheidegg on the way back down before the kids and I returned to Gimmelwald. We bought some fresh milk, eggs, and cheese from our neighbor in the little mountain town. Then I sat outside and watched the sun set behind the tops ofthe mountains, while Joe had an adventure of his own.

Swinging in GimmelwaldWe feel so blessed to be living just a couple of hours from such a paradise. The weekend was so clear and beautiful, we never saw a cloud in the sky. One of my favorite moments was sitting outside in Gimmelwald after putting the kids to bed and looking up at the stars. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen that many stars in the sky. It was just one of the many memorable moments in a magical weekend.But I’ll let him tell you about that himself…

4 Replies to “Jungfrau Weekend”

  1. Dear Sarah, Your descriptions of the mountains are magical!! We are happy that you have this chance to enjoy the gorgeous scenery. Love ML

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