Switzerland Travel Forum

Hi guys,

I have been looking at these things with lot of confusion in my mind since long time so decided to post the question here and may be find a solution ...

Well Jungfrau has always been said "Top of the Europe" with station at ~ 3454 m high and from Interlaken to Jungfrau (back and forth trip) for one adult is super expensive something like 120 Euro.

Whereas in Zermatt area Matterhorn glacier paradise is 3,883 metres above sea level and there train trip (back and forth) cost only 57 Euro.

Then why Jungfrau is so hyped and publicized as "Top of the Europe" when it is not......

Well all that foregoing was for a discussion. What in reality i am looking is; which cable car is most reasonable and provides the best views in Valais or Bernese Oberland region...i guess same question for whole Switzerland might be very difficult to answer as there are 1000 different views with 1000 different cable cars......but if someone wants to answer then I would be highly grateful :).

By the way which mountain is the highest mountain in Switzerland accessible by cable car?

Thanks in tons for taking your time to look at my question and also for answering it :)

Best,
Somendra

The Jungfraujoch railway has the highest railway station in Europe. The Matterhorn Glacier Paradise is, as you'll find out, not reached via a railway, but with a aerial cable car. The Gornergrat Railway itself only goes to 3131m.

On our trip to Switzerland last October we went to the top of Schilthorn in the Bernese Oberland. Besides the beautiful views from the top of the mountain (on a very clear day) we also loved the Lauterbrunnen Valley where the trip to the top of the mountain started.

Check out this page from my Lauterbrunnen travel pages to give you an idea on some of the views from the top. http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/f8615/a8caa/4/

There are a number of different prices for going up to Schilthorn depending on the first departure of the morning (special early morning rate) to purchasing a 1/2 price Swiss Travel Card which is good for a month and gives you 1/2 price travel on just about any train, cable car, bus transportation in Switzerland. We used this for our 4 days there and at 97 CHF paid for itself in our first 2 days.

They also had a good buffet breakfast on top of Schilthorn in the revolving restaurant which revolved 360 degrees in about 45 minutes. Just make sure that before you go to the top of any mountain to check the days weather foreceast to be sure that it will be a clear enough day to see the views from the top.

If you are visitng the Bernese Oberland for a couple of days and can afford to do both...then do that as they both offer fantastic views which to my mind cant be beaten anyway in Switzerland.The only downside is the travelling time up there though.

The Jungfraujoch offers more that just views -
- Ice Palace
- Ice Gateway
- Sphinx observation terrace
- Plateau with hikes in the eternal snow
- restaurants
- (June-September):
ski & snowboard park, husky-drawn sledge rides,
adventure attractions: e.g. Tyrolienne, snow disk etc
catch me on the Tyrolienne at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mr6LSfx96G0 (or type in Tyrolienne Jungfraujoch on youtube)


The Schilthorn can be accessed much quicker that the Jungfraujoch and again has fantastic views with a revolving restaurant, make sure tyou seat next to the window though !

If you have the time visit Trummelbach Falls as that is worth a visit.

Any questions just post here or pop to the main Jungfrau Region thread at Snowheads.com

Chris, that zip lining looked fun. Have you ever tried paragliding? Check out this video on youtube from our Switzerland adventure last year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMQGlF_CMq8

Hello All,

Thank you very much for your input and comment on Bernese Oberland region. Does this mean this region has the best view in Switzerland. Nobody has commented on the view from Matterhorn glacier paradise :(

A one quick question if i buy a swiss pass then does that cover the mountain cable car from Interlaken to Jungfrau or Zermatt to Matterhorn?

Thanks much
Somendra

I didn't make it to the Matterhorn so I can't comment. The Swiss Pass will give you 1/2 price fares for the mountain transportation (cable cars, mountain trains)

yup, through the years visitng the Jungfrau Region i have jumped off the Schilthorn and beatenberg aswell as doing the helicopter ride around the Eiger and this winter did the First Flyer ....which is amazing !!

The area has the BEST views of Switzerland without a doubt...Ive been to Zermatt and other places in Ch and nothing beats it...............when the weather is right !

Chris, now that you have joined VT you'll have to start building pages and uploading pictures. It's really a great community.

Apart from all this Swiss discussion, Mt. Blanc in the French Alps is Europe's the highest mountain with 4807 metres.

Some people say it is Mt. Elbrus (5642 metres) in the Ural mountains, depending on where you see the "border" between Europe and Asia.

All about time

Sorry - I wrote Elbrus in the Ural mountains. Of course, it is in the Caucasus! Sorry for the mistake.

Hi!

As for views I would not recommend Jungfraujoch. It's a great experience to be up there for sure but there are lower places which provide you with better views I think. If you plan to go up make sure to choose a sunny and clear day, otherwise you might end up with no view at all.

My favourite walk in Bernese Oberland is the panorama trail from Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg from where you get awesome views of Eiger, Mönch, Jungfrau and Grindelwald. The round trip ticket is rather affordable (around 50 CHF).

Also the view from Niesen is amazing, prices are about the same.

Hope this helps. Enjoy your trip to Switzerland.
Sabine