The Virgin (4158 m.a.s.l.) is a mountain in the Bernese Oberland. After this Matterhorn it is probably the most famous four-thousand-meter peak Switzerland. The Jungfrau is one of the mountains of the famous triumvirate Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau.
The area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which was declared in 2001 Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn.
getting there
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In the street
From Bern on the A6 to Interlaken, from there to Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen and there change to the Jungfrau Railways.
Public transport
Of Interlaken Trains of the Bernese Oberlandbahnen (BOB) leave regularly from here Grindelwald or. Lauterbrunnen. Change there to the Jungfrau Railways. Interlaken can be reached from Bern with the SBB (there are also ICEs from Berlin via Basel to Interlaken), or from Lucerne with the Zentralbahn.
Mountain railways
Of Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen The Jungfrau Society trams run to Kleine Scheidegg at regular intervals. There change to the train that goes up to Jungfraujoch moves.
It may also be worth buying one for tourists "Half price subscription" (is "Swiss" Bahncard) to avoid the high travel costs on the Jungfraujoch to reduce. However, a purchase only makes sense if you are traveling by train elsewhere during your Swiss holiday. But there is plenty of opportunity to do so in Switzerland as a railway country.
background
An interpretation of the name results from the 2000 m high northern falls of the mountain, which can be viewed from a distance in the scattered light (e.g. from Interlaken) are reminiscent of the veil of a virgin.
The official first ascent of the third highest peak in the Bernese Alps took place on August 3, 1811 by Johann Rudolf and Hieronymus Meyer from Arau and the two Valais Gemsjäger Aloys Volker and Joseph Bortis in a four-day undertaking. The route from the Lötschental through the Firntal and over Lauihorn, Rottalhorn and Rottalsattel is assumed to be the route. The summit is described by the first climbers as 12 feet (approx. 3.50 m) in diameter. However, this measure was not confirmed by subsequent climbers and later explained with a strong suspicion. The first ascent is confirmed by Gottlieb Mayer, the son of the first ascent J. R. Mayer in September 1812, who set up a flag visible from Strahlegg on the summit.
The first winter ascent is also curious: it was carried out in 1872 by Mrs. Meta Brevoort from America and her nephew William Augustus Brevoort Coolidge (later an important pioneer of winter mountaineering). The lady had six guides push her on a sledge up to the Jungfraufirn. Madame then went the actual ascent to the summit on foot, accompanied by her Lötschental sun dog "Tschingel".
Thanks to the Jungfrau Railway, the summit is now possible as a day tour for mountaineers. The correspondingly overcrowded normal route from the Jungfraujoch to the summit is led in the guide with approx. 850 mH (and 150 mH counter climb on the way back) and 3-4 hours of walking time. However, this time is only valid for sufficiently acclimatized summit aspirants. The summit has a high number of accidents, partly due to the often completely wrong assessment of one's own height adjustment to the demands of the four-thousand-meter peak.
The way from the railway station on Jungfraujoch to Mönchsjochhütte is also suitable for "normal" mountain hikers Mountain hiking equipment Possible in about an hour, provided that the weather conditions are good. The route is usually groomed by a snowcat and leads through a fantastic glacier landscape. The conditions of weather and route can be z. For example, ask the staff of the railway.
History of the Jungfrau Railway
From 1860 there were repeated projects for a railway that led to the Jungfrau, but all of them ultimately failed for financial reasons. In 1894, the Swiss company owner Adolf Guyer-Zeller finally received a permit for a train from the Kleine Scheidegg to the Jungfrau. He left the development of the Kleine Scheidegg to other companies, as otherwise the financial risk was too high for him. Work began in 1896. The railway ran through the Eiger massif with a huge tunnel loop, which Guyer wanted to prevent other railways from opening up the mountain. Soon the Wengeralpbahn was also built, which was operated by Lauterbrunnen above Wengen and the Kleine Scheidegg to Grindelwald leads.
To build the
Jungfrau Railway To relieve financially, it was opened in partial stages, which mostly ended in the tunnel. Some of these stations, which were blasted into the rock, still exist today (the intermediate stations Eigerwand and Arctic Ocean). The station was finally reached in 1912 Jungfraujoch, whereupon the construction was stopped due to financial concerns. The railway has not continued to operate to this day, partly because of health concerns: some tourists already had problems with nausea and breathing difficulties on the Jungfraujoch.
Kleine Scheidegg
The Kleine Scheidegg (2061 m above sea level) is probably the highest transfer station in Europe. This is where the Wengeralp Railway from Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen and the Jungfrau Railway from the Jungfraujoch come together. There are several hotels.
Jungfraujoch
The highest train station in Europe (3471 meters above sea level) is located in a tunnel on the Jungfraujoch. The research station can be accessed from here sphinx can be achieved.
Tourist Attractions
- The glacier grotto on the Jungfraujoch
- The north face of the Eiger
- The Aletsch Glacier
Summer activities
- Visit to the Jungfraujoch
- Hiking in the Kleine Scheidegg region.
Winter sports
There is a large ski area between Grindelwald and Wengen. Every year the Lauberhorn race is held at the Lauberhorn near Wengen.
kitchen
accommodation
On the mountain
In the valley
literature
Web links
- Jungfrau Railway;
- The four-thousand-meter peaks of the Alps, Information for mountaineers: www.4000er.de
- Weather forecast for the Jungfraujoch wetteronline.de ;
- Webcam at the Jungfraujoch with weather information;
- Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn
