Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe
Jungfraujoch
Europe's highest railway station, at 3,454 meters. A cog railway passes through the Eiger and takes you straight to the top of the glacier, where the Sphinx Observatory overlooks the Aletsch Glacier.
Jungfraujoch Station sits in the saddle between the Jungfrau and the Mönch. The Jungfrau Railway, completed in 1912, bored a 7-kilometer tunnel through the mountains of the Eiger and the Mönch, delivering visitors straight into a world of snow and ice at 3,454 meters. Highlights inside the station include the Sphinx Observatory, reached by elevator to 3,571 meters, with a 360-degree view of the 23-kilometer Aletsch Glacier, the longest in the Alps and a core part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Also worth seeing are the Ice Palace, an ice-sculpture tunnel carved into the glacier, the Alpine Sensation exhibit, Lindt Chocolate Heaven, and an outdoor walk onto the high-altitude snowfields of the Plateau for photos. Fit visitors can hike about 45 minutes along a snow trail to the Mönchsjoch Hut, which is open in summer. The classic route: take the train from Interlaken Ost to the Grindelwald Terminal, transfer to the Eiger Express, a three-cable gondola that opened in 2020 and takes 15 minutes to Eigergletscher station, then take the cog railway for 26 minutes to the top. You can return via Kleine Scheidegg, Wengen and Lauterbrunnen for a different route. The whole trip takes about 2 hours. A round-trip adult ticket from Interlaken costs about CHF 230 to 250, including the Eiger Express. Swiss Travel Pass holders get 25% off from Grindelwald or Wengen upward, while Jungfrau Travel Pass holders only need to buy the final section. In peak season (July to August and during the Chinese New Year holiday), book a CHF 10 seat reservation on the official website. Caution: Oxygen levels at the summit are only 65% of those at sea level, so slow down your movements. Bring a down jacket, sunglasses and sunscreen in any season. Check the live webcams on the official website before you go. On cloudy days, you may see nothing but white fog.
Opening hours
First ascent approx. 08:00; last descent approx. 17:00–18:00 (varies by season; check official timetable)