The sun was still beating down on us as we made our way off the mountain from Engleberg and headed toward one of Switzerland’s most popular places, Interlaken.
By the time we arrived at our campsite, I insisted we should park with the sun behind us because I was tired of all that sunshine streaming in through the front window of Bijou! It was too warm! But as we drove into the parking area both of our jaws dropped when we saw the view we could have right out our front window and we promptly parked facing right into the sun.
Right out our window were the mighty mountain peaks famous in these parts: Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. The glaciers were gleaming and the clouds added a lot of sky drama. It was spectacular!
We were staying at a small campground in Wilderswil, one train stop away from Interlaken and about 15 minutes by bike on a nice paved path. We cycled into town and poked around for a couple of hours, then the dark clouds moved in and we thought for sure we’d get drenched. So we parked at a wine bar and settled in. The rains never came but we had a nice time anyway.
Interlaken is located between two lakes, Brienz to the east and Thun to the west. It is a popular resort town and in fact it was here we finally saw our very first tour bus since lockdown. It was a local bus, though, and smaller than usual. Interlaken was lacking its usual tourist buzz, which was fine with us.
As we were enjoying our wine, we talked about our options for the next day. Plan A was to enjoy a long bike ride and picnic along one of the lakes, and Plan B was to take a train up to Jungfraujoch, which is the saddle between the two peaks of Jungfrau and Mönch, both of which are over 4,000 meters.
Plan A was free, whereas Plan B would cost an eye-popping $450! However, my friend Zarina, who lives in Switzerland, had emailed us a 50% off coupon. We settled on Plan A, but then later I made an executive decision that we were going to the mountains and the cost be damned. Steven immediately agreed. With that settled, we ordered more wine.
To reach Jungfraujoch we first had to take a train to Grindlewald, then another train to Kleine Scheidegg and then a final train to the top. We left Bijou at 9:00 am and after a bit of a layover at each stop, we reached our destination at 1:30 pm. We had roughly three hours before our return trip off the mountain.
It was a beautiful day, the glaciers were glistening, the snow was crunchy under our feet. It was a chilly 37 degrees, but we had remembered to bring our jackets with us so we stayed nice and toasty. There are several viewpoints as well as a hike out on the snow, and displays of ice sculptures, Lindt chocolate, and several sporting events that have taken place at Jungfraujoch. The views were the real stars, it was spectacular to look out over the peaks. It’s such a harsh, but beautiful environment.
As he is wont to do when there is a photo to be made, Steven ditched me and went off to find the perfect view. I took off for the ice sculptures. From the photos, this place doesn’t look all that big, but once you get inside there is a lot of walking to be done getting from one place to the next. When Steven did finally catch up with me at the ice sculptures he was about to pass out from the altitude and from walking through a tunnel. The ice sculptures weren’t anywhere as impressive as those in the ice house in Cheena Hot Springs in Alaska but the giant snow globe was fun. And of course I bought some Lindt chocolate.
Three hours was plenty for us, but had we had more time we might have gone on the hike. As it was, we trudged out a few yards in the snow, but it quickly became clear that we did not have the proper footwear for such a hike. We barely made it back inside without wiping out a time or two.
After we visited all we wanted to see, we stopped into the self-serve restaurant for a quick snack before we got on our return train. While we were waiting, Steven left to visit the restroom, while I stayed put at our table. Time went by and, when he didn’t return, I started to get worried. Finally he came around the corner. Apparently while he was gone, the restaurant had closed and locked the door. He couldn’t get back in, so he was banging on the door, saying, “my wife is in there! my wife is in there!” They finally let him in!
Our train connections on the way home were a good example of Swiss precision. We walked off one train and right onto the next with no delay. By the time we reached Bijou we were exhausted. We watched out our window as the sun set and the light on the massive peaks faded to dark. What a wonderful day!
NEXT UP: Spoiled in Switzerland
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Footwear. I usually dont these days. 🙂
That’s because you are a beach bum now. Proper order.
Another beautiful post!! I very much look forward to each one – the photos are superb and the narrative as well.
Thank you so much for your kind words, Chuck. We’re happy to have you following along. And thanks for taking the time to comment, we sure appreciate hearing from you!
Thank You for sharing. Awesome adventure, we were there 30 years ago and loved it!
Thanks for your comment, Timothy! I wonder how much it has changed since your visit 30 years ago? Still beautiful, though!
My husband and our 12 year old son were there at Jungfrau about 30 years ago, and it’s still one of our all time favorites! Thanks so much for sharing!
Hi Ginny! If we were to compare photos, I’ll bet we could see how much those glaciers have receded. Sometimes I find it shocking to see massive outcrops of bare rock that before were covered with glacial ice. I doubt I’ll be back there in 30 years, but it would again be completely different!
Wonderful post! As always, full of interesting details and gorgeous photos! Thank you!
Thanks, Cindy! And thanks for putting your comment here rather than FB. Here, they don’t disappear into the ether and we can find them later. Hope you and Bill are doing well.
Absolutely breathtaking! Such a gorgeous place and I’d love to see that area. One day…
Thank you, Judy! You’ll be quite busy building your own beautiful place in the mountains, which I hope we can come see one day! Thanks for commenting!
I felt we were on the journey with you and exhausted too. But totally blown away with the stunning views. Wow, wow, wow! 😮
Thanks, Ruth! Did you and Alan make it to Switzerland during your travels? Hope you are both doing well.
More beautiful than I remembered.
You need to return! Hopefully one day that will be possible.
I guess that is the ‘silver lining’ go the lockdown…..nothing is crowded. Beautiful pictures Steven!
Wonderful wonderful!!! Those mountain views are magical. I have to remember to get selfie lessons from Steven when we see each other again – how does he do that?! Sounds like a perfect day :-)))
I so enjoy your blog and look forward to each one. Switzerland has long been on our bucket list but with age and the pandemic, I have to be content with virtual travel. Your photos and prose are wonderful. Thank you for brightening my day with each post. Safe travels!
Liz, thank you for your kind words. I know it’s hard to even imagine travel as it used to be, but here’s hoping. I hope you will continue to follow along with us and comment. We love to share our adventures and hope to bring some joy to those who cannot. Thank you again. (I just realized I used the word “hope” three times! I guess I am an optimist!” 🙂
Hope it good right now! No fears, I look forward to all your photos and words. Absolutely beautiful. You both have gifts and are generous in sharing them.
That should be “hope is good right now”.