ELAINE’S SWITZERLAND JOURNAL
3. Jungfraujoch
Our trip to Jungfraujoch with our guide, Rainer, was magical. The beauty was awe-inspiring. At 11,362 feet, Jungfraujoch lies high in the Bernese Alps between the Eiger and Mönch peaks. It is known as the “Top of Europe,” and standing there certainly felt as though we were on top of the world.
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| Mary will walk on the snow! |
We traveled part of the way by cogwheel train and part by a large gondola. Both were wheelchair accessible, which was a great relief.
.A note about wheelchair travel in Switzerland: Not everything is wheelchair accessible, and some places require advance planning. Our experience in Paris last year was quite different. We found many attractions exceptionally accommodating, often allowing us to bypass long lines, and every museum or attraction offered free admission or special access for visitors with disabilities. But not so much here in Switzerland. I often find myself pushing the wheelchair or having a kind offer of lifting the wheelchair over a high curb by a kind stranger. 😊
Rainer expertly herded us to the right places at the right times so that we had plenty of opportunity to enjoy the spectacular views. Massive glaciers stretched before us, seemingly close enough to touch. Mary was even able to venture out onto the snow and carefully make her way down a slippery slope.
Speaking of slippery, we also explored the Ice Palace, with its frozen passageways and beautifully carved ice sculptures. Even the floors of The Palace were ice!
At one point, while we were outdoors taking in the vast panorama of snow, mountains, and glaciers, my fingertips began to feel frozen. The cold was intense, but the view was unforgettable.
Jungfraujoch was one of those rare places where the photographs can never quite capture what it feels like to actually stand there, surrounded by the magnificent Swiss Alps.