For a fee of $245, visitors can take a train to the Jungfraujoch station, located at an altitude of nearly 3,500 meters and often referred to as the “Top of Europe.”
Situated in the Swiss Alps, Jungfraujoch station resembles a secret base from a distance and has held the title of the highest railway station in Europe for over a century.
According to Oddity Central, trains may not seem like the best mode of transportation for mountain climbing, but the Swiss have changed this perception.
In the late 19th century, they embarked on an ambitious project to construct the Jungfraubahn, a unique cogwheel railway that climbs through the Bernese Alps to the “Top of Europe.” At the end of the Jungfraubahn, they built the Jungfraujoch station on a rock between the Jungfrau and Mönch mountains at an altitude of over 4,000 meters.
Today, Jungfraujoch is recognized as the highest railway station in Europe and is one of Switzerland’s most popular tourist attractions.
A group of climbers, consisting of British and Swiss citizens, became the first to reach the Jungfraujoch peak in the Bernese Alps in 1862. Decades later, businessman Adolf Guyer-Zeller, known as the “King” of the Swiss railway industry, proposed a plan to build a railway to the Jungfraujoch summit.
This plan had never been discussed, let alone deemed feasible, but the Swiss government decided to greenlight the construction of the Jungfraubahn railway. Over the next 16 years, hundreds of workers toiled in the Alps, drilling through mountains and blasting tunnels with explosives. It is reported that 30 workers lost their lives during the construction process.
Initially, when the Jungfraubahn railway was still on paper, many believed it to be an impossible project. However, in 1912, the railway was officially inaugurated and has been operating year-round ever since.
Instead of hiking like the daring climbers who first conquered the Jungfraujoch peak, today’s visitors simply need to board a train and travel for about 30 minutes to reach the highest railway station in Europe and admire the breathtaking mountain scenery.
Jungfraujoch railway station at an altitude of 3,454 meters.
This impressive railway line begins at the Kleine Scheidegg station, which is 2,060 meters above sea level, and then travels a distance of 9.3 kilometers to an altitude of 3,454 meters. The journey starts outdoors, after which the train quickly enters a long tunnel through the mountains. Some sections of the tunnel are equipped with windows for passengers to gaze outside and marvel at the surrounding mountain paradise.
What impresses visitors most on their journey to the “Top of Europe” is the Jungfraujoch railway station at an altitude of 3,454 meters. Here, the weather can be unpredictable, as it can change significantly within minutes. However, if you are fortunate to visit on a clear day, you can enjoy panoramic views of around 200 mountain peaks from all directions while standing on the observation deck at the top of Jungfraujoch.
In reality, the ticket price for the train to the “Top of Europe” is not cheap, costing around $245. However, most visitors agree that the experience of enjoying the atmosphere and witnessing views unlike any other place makes the expenditure well worth it.
