Trek to Jungfrau Photo Gallery - Part 3
Kleine Scheidegg to Wengen


Source : Jungfrau - Top of Europe website

The Jungfrau Railway takes you to Europe's highest railway station at over 3450m above sea level. This incredible feat of engineering goes through a 7.3km tunnel stretch in the mountains and rises 1400m.

Swiss industrialist Adolf Guyer-Zeller wanted to make Jungfrau more accessible and made the decision in 1893 to build a railway. Construction started in July 1896 and the railway opened on Swiss National Day in 1912. Today, a one-way trip takes 35 minutes in modern rolling stock.

Heading back downhill after enjoying the beautiful views at Top of Europe, I took a different route to Kleine Scheidegg and towards Wengen. Kleine Scheidegg is a major railway transfer point and views from here are quite spectacular as well, enhanced by the photography opportunities to capture the train moving slowly away or towards you amidst a mountain backdrop.

Since this part of the mountains has a well-developed cable car and train system, do plan to ascend and descend using different routes to maximize your experience.

Trains from higher elevations stop at the far end facing the mountains, while the next connection down to Wengen leave from the interior platform next door. There are restaurants here and many skiiers starting their trek. By late afternoon, the trains were packed as many day trippers were heading back to lower elevations for their hotels.

Go for the left window on the way down and you will spot Wengen in the distance as the train gets closer and closer to town. Strangely, despite being the middle of winter, snow wasn't a common sight in these mountainous areas.

Wengen is a car-free village that is suspended above the valley and only accessible by train. With many skiiers in the area, this place has that resort feel where tired skiiers have a good time after a long day. Although you can continue all the way downhill to Lauterbrunnen, I would recommend a stop here to enjoy the small town.

There are many restaurants in town to satisfy hungry appetites. With the sun quickly setting, I chose to have dinner here before continuing back down to Lauterbrunnen on one of the frequent trains. This would be my only cheese fonude meal on this Switzerland trip.

Part 1 - Eiger Express | Part 2 - Eigergletscher to Top of Europe

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