Where do I start?
The Jungfrau Region is one of the most spectacular destinations we have ever been to. It is pristine, totally unspoiled, and utterly jaw-dropping.
The Jungfrau region is made up of two main valleys – The Lauterbrunnen Valley and the Grindelwald valley. The mountains of the Swiss Alps tower over these two valleys. The Jungfrau itself is the tallest (4158 meters) mountain of the three iconic peaks dominating the skyline; the Eiger, Mönch & Jungfrau – hence the phrase ‘Jungfrau‘, meaning ‘Top of Europe’.
It is very easy to travel throughout the region from either Lauterbrunnen or Grindelwald due to the transportation network of trains and cable cars.
The beautiful towns of Mürren and Gimmelwald are perched high on the cliffs that tower over Lauterbrunnen Valley, boasting impressive views of the mighty Jungfrau. Further into the alps sit Birg and the Schilthorn, offering unparalleled views of the surrounding alps and the valley below.
On the opposite side of the Lauterbrunnen Valley is the charming village of Wengen. Wengen looks towards the Schithorn which is famously known as the place where James Bond 007 was filmed in 1969. From Wengen, it is easy to travel to the summit of the Jungfrau or continue onto the valley of Grindelwald.
Lauterbrunnen:
We decided to base ourselves in the Lauterbrunnen valley because well….. take a look for yourself.
The natural beauty of the Lauterbrunnen Valley is staggering. It is situated in one of the most impressive trough valleys in the Alps, between enormous rock faces, mountain peaks, colorful alpine meadows, and cascading waterfalls – 72 of them, to be exact.
Lauterbrunnen was the perfect place to call home for the week. We parked up in a campground deep in the valley. We woke every morning to the sound of the running stream and the chiming of cowbells from the farm just outside our front door. Absolute bliss.
Next to our campground was a farm with approximately 30 odd cows. Each afternoon we would notice the cows would be moved to their milking stations. We decided to be a little nosy and found a big machine sitting outside the milking shed. After a bit of google translate, we worked out that we could get FRESH milk! Each day we would wander back over and pay 1.30 Fr and fill up our milk carton. It was the most delicious, creamiest milk I have ever tasted.
Each morning we would walk about 25 minutes through the valley until we reached the center of town
To better explore the region, we decided on a Jungfrau pass. Although this pass is very expensive ($700nzd for 2 adults for 3 days) it gave us access to most cable cars, funiculars, and trains throughout the entire region. Definitely worth every penny, or should I say Swiss franc?
Mürren – Schilthorn
We took the first cable cart from Lauterbrunnen to the plateau of Stechelberg. From there we took an old red train past turbulent waterfalls and sheer rock faces, into the center of the car-free village of Mürren. Along the way, we met an incredible couple – Tim and Jenna, from Pennsylvania, USA. We instantly hit it off and ended up spending the entire day with them!
Mürren is a picture-perfect village that lies on a terrace at 1650 meters, high above the Lauterbrunnen valley. Its windy streets lead you through the town, passing low-slung wooden chalets and vibrant florals that spill over the window planter boxes. We found the perfect little bench seat to sit and people watch as residents went about their daily activities. Mürren had to be one of my favorite villages. Its charm is like no other.
The four of us carried onto Birg – the summit of the Bernese Alps and home to the Sky Line Thrill Walk. The walk is a steel structure, about 200 meters in length that is suspending into vertical walls of the mountainside. It definitely gets the blood pumping!!
Once we finished the Thrill Walk, we enjoyed a well-deserved drink with spectacular views before making our way to the Schilthorn at 2970 meters.
As mentioned earlier, the Schilthorn became famous as the location for the 1969 James Bond film “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”. For the die-hard James Bond fans, this is a must-do! Otherwise, the 360-degree panoramic views of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau alone make the trip to the summit well worth it.
As our day with Tim and Jenna came to a close, we made our way back down towards Mürren where we were invited back to Tim and Jenna’s accommodation to have a drink – a toast to a wonderful day with new friends. We had a lovely evening, sitting out on the deck, wrapped up in rugs while we watched the snowy mountain tops turn dusky pink, as the sunset on them.
Lauterbrunnen – Wengen – Base of Jungfrau – Grindelwald
The following day was one of our biggest! We spent the entire day riding the trains, trams, busses, and gondolas. The scenery was exquisite. It is almost hard to put into words.
We instantly fell in love with the entire Jungfrau Region, and had the most incredible week exploring the quintessential Swiss villages nestled amongst the towering mountain ranges of the Swiss Alps. We will most definitely be back!
