Jungfrau

Why go

Seen with the Eiger and Mönch, the Jungfrau explains the high wall of mountains above the Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald valleys. From the Mürren side, the rise from valley floor to summit is especially stark. Kleine Scheidegg is an accessible place to identify the peak in the three-mountain skyline, separate from any ascent of the summit.

What to look for

• The Jungfrau stands west of the Mönch and Eiger in the familiar three-peak skyline.
• The rise above Lauterbrunnen is particularly apparent from the Mürren side.

The full story

The Jungfrau's steep northern side helped give the mountain a reputation for inaccessibility. Its summit was first reached in 1811 by the Meyer brothers of Aarau and two hunters from Valais, on a long route across glaciers and high passes. Later routes and the Jungfrau Railway changed how visitors encountered the massif, but reaching Jungfraujoch by train is a different experience from climbing the Jungfrau. The railway ends at the saddle between the Jungfrau and Mönch. Viewed from Kleine Scheidegg or from the valleys, the mountain belongs to a continuous wall with the Mönch and Eiger rather than to a single isolated viewpoint. That alignment is visible before any journey into the high mountains. Its southern side meets the Aletsch glacier landscape, part of the Jungfrau-Aletsch World Heritage area.

Your next visit

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