Probably the highlight of our Switzerland visit was going to Top of Europe! Also known as Jungfraujoch (don't ask me how to pronounce it!), is the highest railway station in all of Europe sitting at an elevation of 11,330ft! It was raining all morning down in Grindelwald, but because weather is completely unpredictable we decided to just go and hope that skies would be clear 10,000ft higher in the mountains!
We took the local train halfway up the mountain, and transferred to another train that leads us through tunnels that go across 2 mountains : Eiger (the most notable mountain in the Bernese Alps) and Monch. These two mountains together with Jungfrau forms the highly recognizable group of mountains visible from far away.
Being that Switzerland is such a mountainous area, the railways have to keep up with the terrain. Below, you can see that the railways have extra "teeth" in the middle of the track. This is called a cog railway system that has toothed rack rails between the running rails. This allows the trains to operate on steep gradients. You wouldn't want the train to roll back when stopped!! Thank goodness for these extra teeth, cuz these trains really do go steep!
After chugging through 2 large mountains, we finally made it to Top of Europe! It was just 34 degrees at 1:30pm, and I guessed that was the warmest it was gonna get! Good thing I wore 3 shirts, a windbreaker, and gloves! (I never wore so much in the middle of the summer...it felt a little weird!) Although, with this heat we're experiencing in California now, I would give anything to go back to Switzerland!
All I could say about this place was "amazing!" We were truly lucky that the rain had passed and the clouds were starting to break apart. There were a few moments when a patch of clouds would engulf us, but it never gloomed our mood! The Sphinx Observation Terrace gives you an amazing 360 degree view and stands about 380 ft above Top of Europe... that was quite a long elevator ride!! (The below picture was taken from a different viewing area, The Plateau, where you can see The Sphinx on the top left and Top of Europe in the middle)
The moment you step out on the Sphinx terrace, you are welcomed by a stunning view of the Monch Mtn! I really don't think any more words are needed to show how grand the view is! All the wire netting around the terrace serves to avert the risk of lightening....I wouldn't wanna be there when that happens!
So, even someone like me who's not afraid of heights got the jitters when looking straight down from the terrace! I realized how far up we were when the people below looked like ants! People below were enjoying the ski & snowboard park, the snow disk run and the sledge dogs. Gosh, it was killing me that I didn't have my snowboard to enjoy the Alps snow *sniff sniff *
We noticed these crows (?) hanging around the area, but I wasn't quite sure what they wanted...haha. The food that people hardly ate outside in the freezing cold? The breath-taking view of the mountains? ...Probably the view!
After about an hour of exploring the area, we were starting to feel light-headed! Going up stairs was a real challenge, and we had to take a few breaks to control our breathing again. At that moment, I understood why I saw so many people sitting/lying on the ground of the meeting area when we first arrived to Top of Europe! We quickened our exploration of the other areas and ended our 4 hour visit with a picture of the Swiss flag that was proudly standing at The Plateau. I felt like I had just finished a long, challenging hike up the Alps and reached my goal! It was a great feeling!
We caught the second to last train out of Top of Europe back to Grindelwald. I wonder what happens when you miss the last train...I wouldn't wanna know! We were completely exhausted and headed straight to the hotel. I emptied my backpack and was surprised to see what had happened to my water bottle (below)! I guess I wasn't the only one who had a tough time with the high elevation, hehe! For those of you who are interested, I've scanned a map of Top of Europe and you can see the vast and amazing structure built inside the mountain.
No doubt, Top of Europe has created a lasting impression. People always talk about the Alps being amazing, and experiencing firsthand, I now know why this place is spoken so highly of. The panoramic picure in the very beginning is just a 180 view of the mountains...if you could imagine being completely surrounded by these vast mountains you'll be another person talking about the amazing Alps! "I heart Switzerland!"Next Stop : Hiking at First, a popular hiking area in Grindelwald. This time I didn't get lightheaded!
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