OH! Magazine - Australian Version January 2014 (Australian Version) | Page 27

activities on offer during the winter as in the summer. The
Jungfrau Valley alone offers 214km of pistes for skiers and
snowboarders, 100km of winter-walking trails and 50km of
sledge runs which, invariably, turn into a hiker’s and
mountain biker’s mecca in the summer months.

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NEED TO KNOW
Stay:
• Splash out at the historic Victoria Jungfrau Grand Hotel &
Spa that melds old-world sophistication with a modern
appeal. Spend an evening in the Spa, which has fitness
facilities including classes, treatment rooms offering
oriental therapies and western treatments and a spectacular
indoor pool with Jacuzzis including a simmering outdoor
one. The steam room and sauna are the ideal hideout during
winter months. www.victoria-jungfrau.ch/en/
• Great value with the same magnificent views, the Metropole
Swiss Quality Interlaken Hotel may be the town’s eyesore,
but it’s clean and comfortable with a hearty breakfast
included. www.metropole-interlaken.ch

While you’re there:

The parting of the clouds is perfect timing, as we make
our final train change for the last leg of the trip to
Jungfraujoch – the top of Europe! The Swiss engineering is
impressive, to put it mildly, and to think that over 100 years
ago a railway line was cut through the rock of the Eiger and
the Mönch to create Europe’s highest-altitude railway station
at 3,454m above sea level. The views are sensational as
you’re smack bang in the middle of the snowy Swiss Alps
with views of the 22km long Aletsch Glacier. The sub-zero
temperatures are tough to handle if you aren’t dressed for
the occasion.
I miss out on trying the zipline, sledge park or have a ski
or snowboard, as the snow park has been ‘snowed under’.
With six restaurants/eateries, an ice palace, a walk through
history presentation, and gift shops – want to buy a Swiss
watch anyone? – It’s easy to spend a few hours here.
We take an alternate route back to Interlaken and board
the world’s longest cogwheel railway to the glacier village of
Grindelwald. Grindelwald, with its gingerbread-style
buildings, is a jumping off point for adventures further up on
First Mountain. Arriving by a 25-minute Gondola (cable car)
ride, First offers breathtaking views back towards the Eiger
North Wall from the summit station and has a multitude of
hiking tails around picturesque Lake Bachalpsee. To
descend, skip the Gondola and take the First Flyer, an 800m
zip line, and then jump on scooters for the final leg to
Grindelwald. You’ll be back in Interlaken and soaking sore
muscles in 30 minutes, or better still stay at the First
Mountain Guesthouse and help the monk keep watch over
the ogre and the virgin.

• Take a ferr y ride on Lake Thun to the historic town of the
same name and wander around the gorgeous cobbled
streets of the old town. Break the journey at the quaint
lakeside village of Spiez.
• Try something adventurous like paragliding, river rafting,
canyoning, or glacier trekking.

Getting There & Around:
• SWISS flys to Zurich from Australia via Hong Kong,
Bangkok or Singapore. www.swiss.com
• The Swiss Pass is available in a variety of multi-day lengths
and includes unlimited train, bus and ferry travel across
Switzerland, with free admission to 450 museums and
exhibits, and 50 per cent discount on mountains trains and
cable cars. www.raileurope.com.au/pass/swiss-pass-7314
• For access to excursion destinations and hikes in the
Jungfrau Region purchase a Jungfrau Railways Pass.
www.swisspasses.com/railpass/swiss-regional-rail-passes/
packages/jungfrau-unlimited/

Train versus Air Travel
In a recent Traveller (SMH) online poll, 2,903 people were
asked their preferred form of holiday transport. Sixty six per
cent voted for the train, while only 26 per cent preferred the
plane. It’s quite surprising with the high volume of air travel
brought on by the influx of low cost carriers, and where it is
often easy to get caught up in the destination rather than the
journey. If you have the time, travelling through Europe by
train is an absolute joy as you often leave and arrive right in
the middle of the city. For instance, nothing beats avoiding
London’s busy airports by gliding in on the Eurostar to St
Pancras Station, Kings Cross from Paris’s Gare du Nord, the
whole trip takes just over a few hours. www.raileurope.com.au

( OH! MAGAZINE ) ISSUE 6

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