Today we visited a glacier! We all stayed up way too late lastnight and no one wanted to get up this morning. However, Tavis still managed to get up early enough to make sandwiches for everyone. Sandra decided to have a day off so she slept in and stayed home while the rest of us decided to go to Jungfrau. We were all ready to leave by 7:30. We didn’t have far to go but it was a long commute.
- 7:36 – 7:48 bus from Krattigen to Spiez
- 8:05 – 8:28 train from Spiez to Interlaken Ost (East)
- 8:35 – 8:55 train from Interlaken Ost to Lauterbrunnen
- 9:07 – 9:49 train from Lauterbrunnen to Kleine Scheidegg
- 10:00 – 10:39 train from Kleine Scheidegg to Jungfraujoch
Most of us enjoyed the scenery on the train. Ayva, however, slept through most of it. When we reached Lauterbrunnen the train ride got interesting. We decided not to reserve tickets on the last train but after we left Lauterbrunnen the 10:30 and 11:00 trains to Jungfraujoch were sold out and the 10:00 only had less than 25% seats available. We were relieved that the small train car we were on only had another 6 passengers so it wasn’t terribly busy. The train made its way up the mountain through several switchbacks. The view was incredible and I loved the tiny little villages along the way. When we reached Kleine Scheidegg we stood by the door and tried to be the first ones off. However, we turned the wrong way and when we were directed the opposite direction there were about 100 people in front of us who had reserved seats. We were happy to see only a handful of other guests ahead of us who went to the standby line and in the end we easily found 6 seats together for the epic train through the mountain to the “Top of Europe”. We then put on our jackets.
Jungfraujoch
About 10 minutes after we entered the tunnel, the train stopped for 5 minutes at a photo spot. There were three huge windows a few steps off the train where you could look out of the tunnel into the valley. It was crazy being in a tunnel looking out through a glass window out of the mountain side. As we were getting back on the train there were three hikers with ropes and climbing gear leaving the tunnel. They were crazy!!!
After we got back on the train we went another 20 minutes through the tunnel before getting to the top. After getting off this time we immediately tried to walk the opposite direction of everyone else but we were quickly told not to go there. We ended up following the crowd of people through tunnels. When we got to the first building the crowd seemed to disperse. Even though the attractions were numbered to help guide tourists through the area, we decided to break away and go to the last attraction first. We walked up the stairs and through the Lindt store, then outside to the viewing platform. The kids were especially excited to be walking in snow. We walked around the area taking in the full 360 degree view around us.
Next we went inside and walked through the ice palace. This was one of the best parts of the tour. We walked through an ice cave! Throughout the walk we saw several ice sculptures, signs, and items frozen in ice. It was amazing to see everything around us covered in ice. There were even small hidden passages for the kids to explore. Even though the icy ground wasn’t too slippery, the kids enjoyed trying to skate everywhere with their shoes. As we were leaving we even found a geocache!
As we walked further into the tunnels, there were several signs that told of the history of the research station at Jungfrau. Next we visited the alpine sensation which had a huge snow globe with a setting of a small village in the mountains. The lighting changed to represent the hours of the day and at night the snow globe darkened and the lights in the village turned on. In the tunnel, there were also snow flakes made of light which bounced all over the ceiling and walls.
Our next stop was up in the Observation tower. When we took the elevator up we were pleasantly surprised by the warmth and large sitting area. We found a small table and decided it was the perfect place to eat our lunch. What a view! After eating, we walked outside and slowly made our way around the perimeter of the building. Again, the 360 view was amazing. We took way too many pictures.
From there we made our way back downstairs and outside to where the zipline, snow tube park, snow golfing, restaurants, and hiking trails were. None of us had proper footwear so we didn’t walk too far, but we enjoyed watching others enjoy these activities. After our feet started to get cold we decided to make our way slowly back to the train. Along the way we walked through a tunnel that told of the construction of Jungfrau. To think of how the workers were able to build the tunnels with basic tools at hand back in the early 1900s was incredible. For more information on the history you can visit https://www.jungfrau.ch/en-gb/jungfraujoch-top-of-europe/construction-of-the-jungfrau-railway/
When we got back to the train we were a little concerned about getting a seat. The 2:00 train had no reservable seats available so all the seats were sold out. However, when we went to the standby line we were relieved to find that there were still 50 seats available. In end the train was not busy and there were plenty empty seats. We took the train back down the mountain through the tunnel that wound its way through the mountain. We stopped at a few small villages along the way. There were also several trails down the mountain that would be fun to hike on another day. Next time we come to Switzerland we need to bring hiking boots!
When we reached Kleine Scheidegg we caught the train down to Grindelwald so we could see a different route. From there we caught a train to Interlaken Ost. Unfortunately, when we reached Interlaken, there was a problem with the train and several trains had been cancelled. We ended up having to wait over 30 minutes to catch a different train back to Spiez which screwed up our connection to Krattigen. Luckily, Sandra was able to pick us up in the car in Spiez. Even though she made 2 trips, we still got home before the bus was scheduled to leave.
After getting home, Tavis and Ayva had a quick 20 minute nap. Then we fed the kids and let them stay home along with their devices while the adults went out to dinner at Sandra’s favourite restaurant down the street. It was an expensive meal but the meals were huge and the food was delicious! We sat outside and the view of the farms, Spiez, and Thunersee was incredible. The only downfall was that the people sitting next to us were smoking (not uncommon here) and their smoke was blowing our direction throughout our entire meal. However, that is the only downfall of being in Europe so far so I can’t complain too much.
Now it is off to bed early as we have another early morning ahead. We have to be up at 6:30!