Exploring the Jungfrau Region 
We boarded our train in an overcast Luzern and started our journey towards the Jungfrau region. The train ride was smooth and as we passed Sarnersee (Lake Sarnen) the weather started clearing and there were pockets of blue sky being offered to us. By the time we reached Lungernersee (Lake Lungern), we were treated to some amazing scenery with mountain views and emerald green waters. As the train ride continued, the scenery (and weather) improved and we knew that we were in for a treat.
Not long after we reached and rode next to Lake Brienz with it’s beautiful turquoise water before reaching Interlaken, where a quick train change took us to our intended destination, Lauterbrunnen.
In Lauterbrunnen we were immediately treated to beautiful views of the valley and the famous Staubbach Falls in the foreground. We had booked accomodation with Valley Hostel and upon arriving at the train station it was an easy 5 minute walk and an easy check-in before we were inside our room. Whilst inside the room we opened the door to the balcony and were treated to one of the best views in town.
Not wanting to waste any time, we dropped off our bags and went for a walk through the beautiful village of Lauterbrunnen towards Staubbach Falls. The weather at this stage had cleared completely and we had sun and blue skies. After soaking in the immediate area we grabbed a take away lunch at the local Coop store and jumped on the only cable car in town.
Prior to arriving to Switzerland we knew that we were going to be utilising a range of different trains, cable cars, gondolas and funiculars and purchased ourselves rail cards that allowed us unlimited travel along them. Suz and I purchased the Swiss Half Fare Card that does exactly what it sounds like, offers half cost on every trip. We ensured that we also got the complimentary Swiss Family Card at the same time, which gave both Xander and Eloise free trips everywhere in Switzerland. On top of this, Suz and I also purchased the Berner Overland Pass, which gave us free travel on all but a few trains in the region (more about this later).
Our first cable car took us to Grütschalp where we changed to a small train which too us to Mürren and offered terrific views of the large mountain peaks, in particular the Eiger, the Monch and the Jungfrau.
In Mürren we just sat down near the train station and had our lunch whilst admiring the views of the snowcapped mountain peaks. After we went for a wander around town and come to another steep funicular which took us to Allmendhubel. Here we came across one of the many many playgrounds that are available in the Swiss Alps and spent some time wandering allowed Xander and Eloise to have some free time before we descended back to Mürren and later on another cable car, this time to Gimmelwald where we found a place to sit down, have a cool beer and soak in the amazing views (yes, there are amazing views EVERYWHERE and we couldn’t get enough of them). We eventually caught a cable car to Stechelberg and there a bus that took us back to Lauterbrunnen.
That evening we decided to travel in to Interlaken and up to Harder Kulm for dinner. This is the first time that we encountered some wait time in order to get on the funicular to Harder Kulm (which is very popular spot in the afternoon, specially during sun set). We had to wait for over an hour but eventually made it to the top and the views were worth the wait, here we had outstanding views not only over Interlaken and the Swiss alps but we were also able to see both lakes that Interlaken gets its name from, Brienzersee (Lake Brienz) and Thunersee (Lake Thun). We enjoyed a beautiful sunset whilst having a full Swiss experience and dining out on a mixed cheese foundue.
The following morning we had an early start, it was time for us to travel to the Jungfraujoch, or as it’s also called, Top of Europe. Now I mentioned that we had a rail pass that covered everything, well this is one of the times you have to pay extra, however we still got a half price on the fare and both Xander and Eloise still travelled for free. Our train ride started in Lauterbrunnen, past Wengen and Kleine Scheidegg to Eigergletscher where we changed trains to the Jungfraubahn which took us all the way to the top. We made our way to the Sphinx Observatory and Observation Deck which offered breathtaking views of the mountains and surroundings, all covered in snow. Of course, this meant that it was colder up here, I believe that it was about -3C but the wind chill definitely made it feel cooler. We were were lucky however as when we arrived we had clear blue skies that offered great views, but within 5-10 minutes, the clouds swept in and completely covered us, lowering the temperature and obstructed our views, it was time to move on.
We wandered down and walked along the snow, walked through the Alpine Sensation and the Ice Palace (where after a few sliding runs on the ice, you could really feel the high altitude) before we ended up at the Lindt Chocolate shop (which didn’t serve their hot chocolate).
Upon leaving, we decided to take a different way and got on the Eiger Express at Eigergletscher which took us to Grindelwald where we had some lunch and later took another cable car to Grindelwald First (yes we took cable cars, funiculars and trains everywhere and all day). At First we walked along the cliff walk and had initially thought of riding either the First Flyer or First Glider however after seeing wait times of up to 3 hours we decided against it and rode the Trottibike (more like a bike scooter) down the mountain paths, an almost 6km ride, all the way down to Grindelwald. During our ride, Xander decided to take off and leave the rest of us at the rear. Suz, Eloise and I were initially riding slowly just taking in the views, but as we didn’t know where Xander had gone to, I raced to the end only to find him walking on the side path after handing back his Trotti. When I asked him why he had taken off from us he only replied: “I just wanted to go fast”.
The next morning we made our way to Wengen and quickly realised that we hade arrived just in time to witness the Alpabzug, the yearly tradition of descending cows from the pastures in the alpine regions to their barns for winter. We watched the procession and saw the cows dressed in large bells and decorations, truly a lucky chance that we were there to witness it.
We continued along a cable car to Männlichen where we walked the Royal Walk. The walk was not long but harder than expected due to the altitude but well worth it in the end as it offers breathtaking views and an unmatched sense of tranquility. This area completely exceeded all expectations and was one of the highlights of this trip offering some of the best views in the region (and trust me that’s saying something considering how amazingly beautiful this region is). After descending from the top we made our way to the nearby playground where Xander and Eloise played whilst Suz and I soaked in the perfect views.
After we finished admiring the views we returned to Wengen and after another take away lunch from Coop, made our way back down to Lauterbrunnen, Wengen and up to Birg where we experienced the thrill walk before we headed up to Schilthorn (another place we had to pay extra to get to however Xander and Eloise still travelled for free). Up here we got to experience the James Bond Spy World as the movie On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) was filmed here. After experiencing all it had to offer (including a drink and snack at the revolving restaurant) we made our way back to Lauterbrunnen.
On our last day in the area, we woke to overcast conditions and slight rain. Eloise and I rode the train to Wengen as I had promised her an ice cream that we had only see there. Upon our return to Lauterbrunnen the rain had stopped and we decided to visit the Trümmelbach Falls by catching the local buss. After seeing all the waterfalls, the weather had cleared some so we decided to walk back through the Lauterbrunnen valley, an easy 3km walk with mountain views, waterfalls and through Swiss alpine homes. With the weather being the way it was, it was easy to imagine how this area ended up being the inspiration for JRR Tolkien’s Rivendell from the Lord of the Rings. Towards the end, just before we got to Lauterbrunnen, we also managed to find a small self managed shop that sold local produce such as meats, cheeses etc where we purchased some local cordial.
Our time in the Jungfrau was filled with amazing views everywhere we went and we loved every second of it. We didn’t get to experience all that the region has to offer and can’t wait to go back again!
