Jungfraujoch, Rail mountain pass in Bernese Alps, Switzerland
Jungfraujoch is a rail mountain pass at 3,471 meters (11,388 feet) in the Bernese Alps, reached through tunnels carved into the Eiger. The terminal sits between the peaks of Jungfrau and Mönch on the border of Bern and Valais cantons.
The railway opened in 1912 after 16 years of construction, becoming the highest rail line in Europe at the time. Engineers blasted kilometers of tunnels through the interior of the Eiger to reach the saddle.
The name translates to saddle of the maiden, referring to the gentle dip between two alpine summits. Visitors experience an environment where glacier research and high-altitude medicine have become part of everyday life.
Warm clothing is necessary year-round due to thin air and freezing temperatures at this elevation. Trains depart from Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen several times daily, climbing steadily through the mountain interior.
Several viewing windows were carved directly into the rock face of the Eiger, allowing passengers to look out onto glaciers during the journey. The station includes an ice palace carved into the natural glacier beneath the surface.
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