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Morning
Hitch a lift on Grindelwald’s Eiger
Express. Launched in December
2020, the new tri-cable gondola
breezes past the Eiger’s gnarly
north face and within 15 minutes
you’re at Eiger Glacier station for a
switch to the Jungfraubahn. Since
1912, this little red train has been
curling up to Jungfraujoch, Europe’s
highest train station at 11,362ft.
Jungfraujoch is the crowning glory
of the Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO
World Heritage Site; stop at the
Sphinx observation terrace for
views across the 14-mile swirl of the
Aletsch Glacier. You’ll need warm
layers and boots, particularly if
you fancy the 45-minute stomp to
Mönchsjochhütte, Switzerland’s
highest serviced mountain hut.
Afternoon
With cowbells jangling, marmots
whistling and purple gentian in
bloom, summer in the Bernese
Alps is pure Heidi stuff. Hiking is
the way to go here: Eiger Glacier
is the start of the Eiger Trail, which
draws close to the mountain’s
north face. Largely downhill,
the moderately challenging
four-mile ramble pulls back the
curtain on the waterfall-streaked
Lauterbrunnen Valley and a host
of glacier-frosted peaks; bring
binoculars to spot climbers on the
Eiger. The trail picks its way over
meadows, streams and scree slopes
to Alpiglen, where a gorgeous
mountain hut delivers uplifting
views and drinks on its terrace in
the golden light of late afternoon.
Evening
If you’re lucky enough to
snag a room at Hotel Glacier
in Grindelwald, you’re in for a
treat. Of all the glacier-themed,
silver-hued rooms, the ones
with whirlpools out on the deck
and front-row views of the
Eiger are the best. The 28-room
boutique hotel has impeccable
eco credentials, too, sourcing
sustainably, minimising waste and
drawing energy from the local
biomass plant. Even if you’re not
staying the night, try to get a table
in the restaurant; local, seasonal
ingredients are cooked with flair
in dishes like smoked sturgeon
with Swiss caviar and kohlrabi, and
braised Swiss wagyu with black
truffle and egg-yolk praline.
DAY ONE GONDOLAS & GLACIERS
SCHYNIGE PLATTE
The views unfold little
by little as you creep
up the mountain on the
narrow-gauge railway from
Wilderswil to Schynige
Platte, just as folk have done
since 1 893. For views of the
Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau,
as well as lakes Brienz and
Thun, strike out on the six-
hour trail to the village of
First via the knobbly peak of
Faulhorn. jungfrau.ch
BRIENZ ROTHORN
Ride Switzerland’s only
steam-powered cogwheel
train through forests and
meadows to the summit
of 7 ,709ft Brienz Rothorn
for knockout views of
startlingly turquoise lakes
Brienz and Thun. Pick a clear
day and you can, they say,
count 693 peaks from here.
brienz-rothorn-bahn.ch
SCHILTHORN
Jungfraujoch may be higher,
but the eyrie-like summit
of Schilthorn, at 9, 72 2ft, is
equally dramatic, with views
all the way to Mont Blanc
and the Black Forest on
cloudless days. Have brunch
in the revolving restaurant,
Piz Gloria, or hop in the
cable-car down to Birg’s
gravity-defying Thrill Walk.
schilthorn.ch
FIRST CLIFF WALK
Jutting out into the void,
this steel walkway wraps
around near-vertical
cliff faces at First above
Grindelwald. Birds, such
as alpine choughs, ride on
the updraft and even use
this perch for take-off and
landing. From here, walk on
to Bachalpsee, a cobalt lake
that serves as a mirror to the
Bernese Alps. jungfrau.ch
WENGEN
Brits have been raving
about Wengen’s heavenly
views since Edwardian times
and with good reason. Sit on
the bench in the churchyard
to gaze up at the colossal
peaks of the Jungfrau massif
and down to the sheer-
sided, waterfall-splashed
Lauterbrunnen Valley.
wengen.swiss
Alpine views
TOP FIVE
Train driver at Schynige Platte
Left: Harder Kulm, a viewpoint
above Interlaken with Eiger, Mönch
and Jungfrau in the background
JUNE 2022 45
