I traveled to Switzerland to see Europe's most beautiful scenery by smooth, efficient Swiss railroads. I took a trip to the Jungfrau, mostly by cog rail to 11,000 feet - Europe's highest and most scenic railroad station, built inside the mountain - a century ago. My itinerary comprised four nights in Interlaken, with day excursions on narrow-gauge mountain trains into the Alps. Then I went to Zermatt to catch the Glacier Express to St. Moritz.

Links on the right provide information on the Swiss national railroad and narrow-gauge railroads. Each page has some photographs and links to other pages for more information.

William McPherson

206-218-8987

wrmcpherson@yahoo.com

Updated: May 2006

TOP OF EUROPE: The Jungfrau Lines

The Jungfrau lines, that together form the "Top of Europe" rail tour, consist of the Berner Oberland Bahn (BOB), Wengner Alp Bahn (WAP) and the Jungfrau Line. The BOB connects Interlaken's rail junction with the mountain villages of Lauter- brunnen and Grindelwald. The WAP connects Lauter- brunnen with Grindelwald by way of Kleine Scheidegg, a small rail junction with ski lifts and a small hotel. The Jungfrau line, a cog railway over its entire length, runs through tunnels in the Eiger Massif from Kleine Scheidegg to the Jungfraujoch, a saddle at 11,000 feet, just below the summit of the Jungfrau. Photos illustrate the Eiger massif and the valleys alongside the rail lines.

Glacier Express

The Glacier Express runs from Zermatt to St. Moritz. Along the way it passes through the Rhone and Rhine Valleys, not far from glaciers that form their headwaters. At Zermatt, the western end of the Glacier Express, a cog railway called the Gornergrat

continues up to the ridge near the Matterhorn. The Matterhorn- Gotthard line then connects Zermatt to the Rhaetian Railway at the rail junction of Disentis, after passing through numerous tunnels. The Rhaetian Railway then continues to St. Moritz, crossing the Landwasser Viaduct (illustrated) before reaching the end of the line in St. Moritz.

Golden Pass Panorama Trains: BLS and MOB

Golden Pass Panorama runs from Montreux to Lucerne. It can be taken in two segments: from Montreux to Interlaken, and from Interlaken to Lucern. The segment from Montreux to Interlaken comprises the BLS and the MOB. The MOB (Montreux- Oberland-Berne) starts in Montreux. The BLS (Bern- Loetschberg- Simplon) connects with the MOB in Zweisimmen (pictured in the photo with the MOB locomotive). Together, they form half of the Golden Pass Panorama Express. The other half is the Brunigbahn line (below).

The MOB and BLS travel from Montreux, on Lake Geneva (Lac Leman in French) to Interlaken, in the Berner Oberland. The MOB climbs from Montreux through the mountain range that includes Gstaad (a famous ski resort). Along the way, it passes vineyards that make the unique Swiss wines such as Salvagnin and Dole. At the lake, one can see the excursion boats that travel visit the cities along the lake such as Nyon and Lausanne, as well as Montreux. After leaving Zweisimmen, the BLS passes along the Lake Thun, and through Swiss villages with typical Swiss churches.

Golden Pass Panorama Trains: The Brunigbahn

The Golden Pass Panorama continues from Interlaken to Lucerne with the Brunigbahn.
At left are photos on the Brunigbahn line from Interlaken to Lucerne. The first photo shows the train leaving Interlaken for Lucerne. The train then climbs to Brunig Pass, where there was an early spring snowstorm at the station. It then descends through a number of tunnels in the Sarner Aa Valley between Brunig Pass and Lucerne. In the last photo, the Brunigbahn train returns from Lucerne to Interlaken, crossing the river at the west end of Brienzer Lake.