Swiss Skyline

The Eiger (3970 m), the Mönch (4099 m), the Jungfrau (4158 m) – Swiss mountain peaks famous in literature, movies, and mountaineering lore.

Met with Helen and Felix at the Zürich Hauptbahnhof to catch a train to Bern, transferring to Interlaken, and then on a narrow-gauge railroad to Lauterbrunnen at the foot of the trio of gorgeous mountains of the Berner Oberland.

Our first stop was a visit to the amazing Trümmelbach-fälle, made up of ten waterfalls inside a mountain that drain the glacier defiles of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau, carrying 20,000 tons of rock and gravel per year. This is the only glacier-waterfall in Europe inside a mountain, accessible by tunnels and stairs for visitors. The force of the waterfalls is frightening, up to 20,000 liters of water per second, very cold, and the noise is deafening!

At Lauterbrunnen we caught a series of busses and cable-cars (I lost count by the end of the day) to reach the summit of the Schilthorn (2971 m), to have a picnic lunch near the revolving restaurant Piz Gloria, a location used in the Bond film “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.”

 

The weather was perfect, warm and sunny, and both outside and in the 360˚ revolving restaurant, we could only marvel at the majestic scenery of the spectacular panorama of the Swiss Skyline, the Eiger, the Mönch, and the Jungfrau. There were well-marked hiking trails for exploring flowery alpine meadows and permafrost fields along the glaciers, and, of course, many peaks for technical climbers.  For those who just want a minimum of exertions for a coffee and to shop, the Piz Gloria works nicely.

On our way down, we stopped in the picturesque village of Mürren, filled with classic Swiss chalets, small hotels and restaurants, and lots of flower gardens. The Eiger in the distance seemed to be watching over all.

Back to Interlaken (the Jungfrau in the distance) for a short walk-about, eyeing all the luxury hotels, and stopped for ice cream at an outdoor café complete with jazz band.

 

Reluctantly, we had to dash to catch the train to Bern, and then back to Zurich.  I lost count of all the trains we had been on, and we counted at least eighteen!  But what a wonderful chance to see what makes the Swiss Alps so world-class famous.