This must be heaven. I could not get any higher, I thought, as I gazed upon the dramatic snow-capped peaks towering over 11,000 feet against an azure blue sky. The bright red cogwheel train had inched its way past fragrant pine forests and rolling farmlands into a majestic mountain range—all too perfect to be real.
I was riding on Europe’s highest-altitude railway, the Jungfrau Rail, a technological feat built in 1912, masterminded by Swiss entrepreneur Guyer-Zeller. His dream took 16 years to become a reality after many fatalities during its construction. As Switzerland celebrates its 720th anniversary, this year, the Jungfrau railway celebrates its 100th anniversary.
Rail to the Heights
The one-and-a-half-hour, stunning train journey involved passing through a dark tunnel carved into the face of the notorious Eiger Mountain, where many a climber has tested fate but unfortunately only few have survived.
