When our family visited us a couple of months ago we wanted to make their trip unforgettable, and I hope that we succeeded. They spent one week with us, and we planned many activities to keep them entertained. It was their first trip in Switzerland, so we wanted for them to see as many places as possible. We did all the bookings in advance, and hoped that the weather would be on our side. Well, it wasn't, but we sticked to the plan anyway.
I think that the most exciting part of our vacation was our trip to Jungfraujoch. We have only been there once before, so we were excited to go there again. It's not a place where you would go regularly as it's crazy expensive, but it was probably once in a lifetime opportunity for our family, so why not?
When you're booking your ticket you have to decide how many hours you want to spend there. There are several activities, so you can choose the time slot based on what you want to see and experience. We went for the full experience and booked 5 hours. It sounds like a lot, but the time flies, and if you want to have a meal up there as well you need to book at least 4 hours.
You can choose to start your trip from several locations. We chose Grindelwald terminal where we boarded the cable car. You can hop on a train before, but it will take you much longer. Our family has never taken a cable car before, so they were scared and excited at the same time. Slowly they relaxed and started to enjoy the ride. The views were spectacular until we reached the clouds. Luckily, it didn't take long to get above the clouds and in about 20 minutes we arrived at Eigergletscher. From there we took a cog railway train to Jungfraujoch - top of Europe. It's a 30 minutes trip in a tunnel through the mountain. The train stops for 5 minutes as there are some openings in the tunnel from where you can see The Aletsch glacier.
It's the first WOW moment that you'll get on the way 😊 But get ready for all the people from the train queuing in front of 3 windows trying to take a photo before rushing back to the train. You don't want to be left standing there.
Jungfraujoch is located at 3454 m above the sea level, so you might experience some shortness of breath and possibly some headache. Some people are more prone to it than others. I don't have any problem with this altitude, however my brother had a flu and was feeling really bad when we reached the top. He powered through, but didn't enjoy the trip so much.
When we arrived I was disappointed as the weather was less than ideal. We were in the clouds and it was so windy. I have tried to explain to my family that they should dress warmly, but it's difficult to imagine how cold it is up there when it was 35 degrees Celsius at home. They took some warmer clothes, but were cold anyway. With my husband we were ready and didn't forget to put on good shoes and take our beanies and gloves.
I tried to stay positive as we had 5 hours ahead of us, and the skies would clear up for sure, right?
First, we went for lunch, then we explored the ice cave and the Alpine sensation museum before returning back to the platform. The clouds were creating dramatic scenery, and I actually enjoyed it. When it cleared a bit you could hear people saying: Ow, look over there, ow, it's beautiful!
We decided to stay outside for a bit, and wait for the views. There was a tiny stall selling various beverages and some snacks, so we ordered some prosecco. We even got proper (although) plastic glasses, and I was feeling fancy.
We planned to go on a 2 hours hike to Mönschsjochhütte (you can see the patch on the left leading to the back towards the mountains), but it was unfortunately closed due to bad weather conditions. My husband was looking forward to the hike, so we will have to go there again. I must admit that I wasn't too disappointed because I didn't feel like hiking in the snow for 2 hours.
It's a true paradise if you like mountains. You are surrounded by some of the main summits in Switzerland, such as Jungfrau with its 4158 m above the sea level. Climbing of the summit has become easier with building of the cog railway as now you only have to conquer about 800 meters gain in elevation to get there. It doesn't sound bad, but it is only for experienced climbers as the terrain is complex.
The Aletsch glacier is the biggest glacier in the Alps. It 'flows' from the Jungfrau down the Bernese Alps for about 20 kilometres. It's spectacular to see such a vast mass of ice. Its surface looks smooth, but there are deep cracks in it, so you can't visit it on your own. If it were up to me I would forbit visiting it anyway to protect it as it's unfortunately retracting fast.
The crows seem to enjoy the altitude. There were so many of them!
Our family was excited to walk in the snow in August. It was funny to watch their genuine joy, like children seeing snow for the first time.
When the sun shines on the surrounding mountains covered in ice, the ice changes its colour to vibrant blue. You can see it a bit here.
There is a snow fun park which is open in summer, but it was closed during our visit. Once you book your tickets you can't change the dates anymore, so you have to accept the weather conditions. You can't wait until the last moment because Jungfraujoch is very popular, and the tickets sell quickly.
The blue seems more vibrant here 😊
One moment it looked like this...
The clouds covered the mountains in the next couple of minutes...
And 10 minutes later it changed completely again.
Here you realize that it is true when they say that the weather in the mountains is unpredictable.
Let's enjoy a few more photos...
Some crows are photogenic 😊
I saw a couple trying to take a selfie rather unsuccessfully, so I offered to take a photo of them. Then they asked us if we wanted a photo too, so here you go - packed in multiple layers of clothes with our Jungfraujoch beanies that we got there last time.
Did you know that you get drunk faster when you're in the mountains? Keep this in mind next time when you'll be high up the mountains ordering a drink 😊
See you next time...