Switzerland - Lauterbrunnen and Jungfraujoch

Switzerland – Lauterbrunnen and Jungfraujoch

 Lauterbrunnen is named for its many fast flowing creeks and rivers, in a steep valley below the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau mountains. The weather here, as in France, was unseasonably cool and often wet, but we were very lucky that it was fine for our trip up to the Jungfraujoch (highest railway station in Europe) on Friday.

The afternoon we arrived, we strolled down to the Staubbach waterfall, only a few hundred meters from our hotel (Hotel Silberhorn) and a major feature of the town, It even inspired a poem by Goethe, who visited here in 1779 (along with just about every other place in Europe it seems). We climbed up the tourist trail to the base of the falls, where there is a tunnel which emerges underneath the falls itself. As it was windy we managed to get wet, but it was worth it for the minor bragging rights.

On Friday we took the cable car just alongside our hotel, up to the village of Gruetschalp, then a little train up to the very picturesque village of Muerren. From here it is possible to go up to the restaurant which featured in the James Bond film “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”, however as the weather was clearing over the Eiger, we decided to backtrack and head up via Wengen and Kleine Sheidegg to the Jungfraujoch. The rail trip alone is worth the trouble, although we shared it with what seemed like half the population of Japan. The views along the way and from the top were spectacular – it would be unbelievable on a really fine day. We got off the train at Eigergletscher (Eiger Glacier) station on the way down and walked down to Kleine Scheidegg then took the train home via Grindelwald, another extremely cute town.

The weather today has closed in, with solid cloud and drizzle. As compensation, I am able to get this blog up to date, while enjoying a nice pear Schnapps.

Tomorrow we are up early to catch a train back to Interlaken, then make a connection to Spiez and Brig to catch the Glacier Express to St Moritz.

Hotel Silberhorn from cable car

Lauterbrunnen historic bell

Church with Staubbach fall in background

Lauterbrunnen gnome garden

Fast flowing river through town

Staubbach falls

Steps up to walk under the falls

Cog rail train

Eiger

Lauterbrunnen from cable car at Grutschalp

Pub view - Murren

Murren street view

Ski Lodge decorations

Bird on a Wire above glacier - Jungfraujoch

Eiger and Monch tops just visible

Eiger view from Kleine Scheidegg

Eigergletscher station looking down

Eigergletscher station looking upwards

Eigergletscher view

Statue of Guyer-Zeller who formed the idea for the railway
to Jungfraujoch 

Ice Cave - tourist attraction under the station 

Ice tunnel with tourists

Views from the top

Walking down from Eigergletscher to Kleine Scheidegg