Getting High in the Swiss Alps: Exploring the Glorious Junfrau Region

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The storied Alps span nearly 750 miles through eight European countries. Arguably, the Swiss Alps are the most famous. Among the many mountain ranges in Switzerland, the Jungfrau region of the Bernese Oberland range is one of the most popular. It is home to more than 700 mountains and many of the highest peaks in the Alps, including the legendary Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau peaks.

Where to Stay

It takes a bit of work to reach the best base areas in the Jungfrau, but it’s worth the effort. The gateway to the mountain range is the town of Interlaken, located between Lake Brienz and Lake Thun, and an easy train ride from nearly anywhere in Switzerland. Though scenic, it is nothing compared to the towns located further up in the mountains.

A 20-minute train ride up from Interlaken brings visitors to the beautiful Lauterbrunnen, located in a valley surrounded by steep cliffs and roaring waterfalls. It doesn’t quite have that “in the mountains” feel of the higher towns, nor is it car-free as some other towns are. But it can be a good choice for a base, particularly for those only staying a few days, as its central location provides easy transportation to the major areas of the mountains.

The map below is oriented to the south.

Some do choose to base in Grindelwald, a much larger town with little charm. It does provide easy access to First, which is a fun place to spend a few hours, especially for thrill-seekers. For us, Grindelwald is a good destination for a day trip, but not somewhere to spend multiple days.

When choosing between Wengen and Mürren, a quick online search will reveal impassioned arguments for which town one should stay in. Both are jaw-droppingly beautiful; it is an extraordinary experience to be so deep in the Alps. We have spent a lot of time in mountain towns, but never anything as immersive as these two. Though small, both towns have a good variety of creature comforts, including restaurants, grocery stores, outfitter shops, and souvenir shops. Certainly no wrong answer here. The top three photos are Wengen, the bottom three are Mürren. (We chose Wengen, and would likely do so again.)

Travel Passes

There is a dizzying array of transportation available to make one’s way around the Jungfrau.

However, some of it (particularly the cable cars, gondolas, and cog train) is quite expensive, and a pass should be considered. There are a variety of choices, and each is available for flexible periods of time. You may not save a huge amount of money in the end, but the convenience of a pass can’t be beat. You might just end up enjoying a few extra experiences since there is no extra cost!

Swiss Travel Pass

For those traveling to other areas in Switzerland, in addition to the mountains, a Swiss Travel Pass is highly recommended. It offers a couple of options, but with the full pass, the passholder gets unlimited travel by train, boat, and bus throughout the majority of the country, free admission to most museums and many attractions, and a substantial discount (usually 50%) for high mountain transportation. For many, it can be a good value, making nearly all transportation a breeze. We used it multiple times every day of our two weeks in Switzerland and found it to be even more useful than we expected.

In the Jungfrau region specifically, the Swiss Pass covers 100% of transportation as far up as Wengen, Mürren, and Grindelwald. Above those locations, there is a 50% discount on all transportation, with the exception of the priciest trip in the area: to the Top of Europe, which has only a 25% discount with the pass.

Berner Oberland Pass

For visitors focusing all of their travel on the Berner Oberland area, the Berner Oberland Pass could be a good option. It allows for free boat rides on Lake Thun and Lake Brienz (surrounding Interlaken), train travel as far away as Montreux, Lucerne, and Bern, bus travel in the mountain range, most of the cable cars and gondolas, including travel to the Shilthorn. It provides a 50% discount to the Top of Europe.

Jungfrau Pass

People limiting their visit to Switzerland to the Jungfrau region exclusively may benefit from the Jungfrau Pass, which provides unlimited travel by train, boat, cable car, and gondola in the Jungfrau region, with the notable exceptions of trips to the Top of Europe and the Schilthorn, for which it provides a discount.

Activities

Lauterbrunnen

The town of Lauterbrunnen is easily accessible no matter where one is staying in the region. Located in a valley, it’s a good place to visit on a cloudy or intermittently rainy day, as the big views are up close.

The Trümmelback Falls were formed from glacier melt from the Mönch, Eiger, and Jungfrau mountains, which drain into a cavern, creating waterfalls located entirely within a mountain, and not visible at all from outside. They carry up to 5,200 gallons of water per second from the mountains to the valley! The ten falls are accessed by an impressive series of staircases and tunnels going up the mountain through dark caves, with occasional platforms for viewing.

This is a popular destination, and it can feel a little claustrophobic with too many people. If possible, visit first thing in the morning or in the late afternoon. (Hours are 9 am – 5 pm at the time of this writing.)

The Männlichen and Wengen

The Männlichen, one of the most beautiful trails in the area, is also one of the least strenuous. From Wengen, a 4-minute cable car ride whisks visitors up to the Männlichen. One can even do the Royal Ride and stand on TOP of the cable car, in the open air, for an extra $5. (There are metal rails around the roof area, but still, yikes!) The top area of the Männlichen offers a fun playground for kids, complete with a giant wooden cow that can be climbed upon, a short Royal Walk to a peak with great views from a platform shaped like a giant crown, a restaurant serving brunch, and more.

But the best part is that it’s the trailhead to the 2.5-mile Panorama Trail, taking about 90 minutes with lots of photo stops.

This is a hike where clear weather is a must. It is also a popular route, so starting early is smart. The trail is well-marked, mostly downhill, and offers jaw-dropping views of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau mountains almost the entire time. In our experience, easier trails often don’t provide the best rewards. But this one is an exception!

For a break near the end, consider soaking in the view with a drink, a snack, or lunch on the expansive patio of Restaurant Grindelwaldblick, overlooking the whole area.

The hike technically ends at the Kleine Scheidegg train station, where weary hikers can catch a train back to Wengen and beyond. Or, if desired, hikers can continue to hike in paradise for another half hour or so down to the Wengernalp train station. This hike can go in the other direction as well, but it is uphill the whole way, and much more challenging.

For those staying in Wengen, the Leiterhorn Trail Loop is delightful both because of its beauty and because the trailhead is right in Wengen, so no transportation is required. It is a fairly easy hike, particularly after the first ascent.

The trail climbs up above Wengen in a lush forest, arrives at a large scenic overlook, and then returns to Wengen on a slightly different route with mountain views the whole way down. It has lots of shade, very few other people, and is a wonderful way to spend a peaceful morning or afternoon. (To get those great views on the way down, stay to the left, and take the loop in a counter-clockwise direction for the best views.) There is helpful signage along the way.

Schlithorn & Mürren

The 10,000-foot Schlithorn is famous for being the filming spot of the James Bond movie, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. From Mürren, a 10-minute cable car ride takes visitors to Birg (worth a stop on on the way down). A coordinating second cable car ride of just about 5 minutes provides a steep, dramatic ride to the top. The panoramic cable-cars provide outstanding views. (Photo credit for the two drone photographs below goes gratefully to schlithorn.com).

Upon arrival, the Skyline View Platform is the place to go. The vast 360-degree views include more than 200 mountain peaks, including the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau, as well as a wide array of other Bernese Alps. On clear days, views of Mt. Blanc in France (the highest mountain in Western Europe), the Vosges Mountains in Eastern France, and even into Germany’s Black Forest are visible. It is extraordinary.

Heading back down, consider making a quick stop in Birg between the cable-car rides. (The cars are timed to allow either 15 or 45 minutes to explore, with no advance planning needed.) The Skyline Walk is an observation deck jetting out over the mountains, and providing another breathtaking view. It only takes a few minutes to see and is just a two-minute walk from the cable car boarding area.

Brave souls can take the Thrill Walk, a 200-meter steel pathway clinging to a cliff, including a tunnel to crawl through, and an area with a glass floor. It is a free activity and takes 15 or 20 minutes to complete, including time for photos. Birg also has a huge terrace serving food and beverages.

The second cable car ride down ends in picturesque Mürren, and it is a joy to just spend some time exploring the town. But if one is seeking to work off the Piz Gloria brunch, a 4-minute ride on the Allmendhubel funicular brings passengers to an area with a restaurant, a unique playground, and several hiking opportunities. The North Face Trail takes about 2.5 hours and ascends and descends through flowery meadows, cows in the fields, and mountain huts, with mountain views the whole time. It ends near the main area of Mürren.

Grindelwald

Grindelwald, about a 40-minute train journey from Lauterbrunnen, is quite a bit larger than Mürren, Wengen, or Lauterbrunnen, has a lot of traffic congestion, and is generally just not as appealing. It is worth a day trip, though, to experience Grindelwald First.

For those (like us) with little interest in the type of activities listed above, just walk away from the crowds and follow the signs to the glorious 4-mile Lake Bachalpsee Hike with highlights including two mountain lakes, wildflowers, rushing creeks, waterfalls, and, of course, those wonderful mountains. The first part of the hike, to the lakes, is quite popular (with good reason). But, upon leaving the lakes, the rest of the hike can be completed in relative solitude. Of the many hikes we took, this was our favorite.

The Jungfraujoch

When in the region, it’s impossible to escape the advertisements for the Jungfraujoch. (It has a heck of a marketing department!)

Jungfraujoch is a plateau between the Jungfrau and Mönch peaks, exclusively accessed by a steep and (understandably) expensive cog-train, the Jungfraujoch Railway. The area is called the Top of Europe because it is the highest train station on the continent, at over 11,000 feet.

There are two places to board the Jungfraujoch Railway: Klein Scheidegg (accessed via train from Wengen) and Eigergletscher (accessed by the Eiger Express cable car from Grindelwald). Total travel time each way is about 2 hours from Mürren, 1.75 hours from Lauterbrunnen, 1.5 hours from Wengen, and 1 hour from Grindelwald. Tickets are well over $200 each, though some passes provide a discount. Unlike most Swiss trains, it is best (and often required) to reserve a seat on the cog-train in advance, as the Jungfraujoch is one of the most popular attractions in Switzerland, and the trains fill up, particularly in high season.

Since the views are the purpose of visiting the Jungfraujoch, be sure to check the weather report before booking a ticket. Sometimes it is completely different on the plateau than in the towns below. There is no real point in going if it is engulfed in clouds.

Tip: A great (free) weather app to download and use all over Switzerland is MeteoSwiss. It is especially useful in the mountains.

It will be significantly colder up there than in the lower towns, so dressing in multiple layers and bringing gloves and hats is a must, particularly if you plan to play in the snow. The temperature almost always falls well below freezing, even in the summer months.

Upon arrival, visitors can view the immersive Jungfraujoch Panorama, a 4-minute cinematic experience. From there an elevator soars up 350′ in less than 30 seconds and delivers its riders to the main event, the Sphinx Observation Deck. The deck provides one-of-a-kind views of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau mountains, the towns below (even as far as Interlaken), and the 15-mile-long Aletsch Glacier, Europe’s largest glacier and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (Photo credit gratefully given to jungfrau.ch.)

Those with proper footwear and trekking poles can take a unique and scenic 2.5-mile (round trip) hike on the glacier to the small Mönchsjoch Hut for lunch. Keep in mind, at an altitude of over 11,000 feet, the air is thin and the hike may be more challenging than expected.

To experience the snow without the exertion, the Snow Fun Park offers summer sledding, skiing, snowboarding, and zip lining. (For a fee.) Other popular attractions include the Ice Palace, where guests can walk through a series of ice tunnels, and the Alpine Sensation, providing a history of all the sacrifices miners made to create the Jungfraujoch.

The Jungfraujoch is expensive, crowded, and there is a time-consuming process to get to it. But it is unlike anything else, and many feel it is very much worth it. For some, it is the highlight of their trip.

Full disclosure: Regretfully, we were unable to go to the Jungfraujoch during our trip due to the weather. Therefore, we are basing the information above on first-person accounts of several people we encountered (expressing widely varied opinions), along with extensive online and book research.

Are you continuing your travels in Switzerland? Check out some fun adventures in Exploring the Swiss Riviera.