阿爾卑斯山之巔──少女峰
少女峰（Jungfrau）位於瑞士伯恩高地（Bernese Oberland），與艾格峰（Eiger，3,967 公尺）及僧侶峰（Mönch，4,107 公尺）並列為阿爾卑斯山最著名的三座山峰。少女峰本身海拔 4,158 公尺，是伯恩阿爾卑斯山的重要山峰之一，也是聯合國世界自然遺產「少女峰－阿萊奇冰川」的核心景觀。
前往少女峰山坳，需要搭乘兩種完全不同的交通工具。
Eiger Express 三索纜車
第一段由 Grindelwald Terminal（格林德瓦終點站）出發，搭乘於 2020 年啟用的 Eiger Express 三索纜車，全程約十五分鐘，可近距離俯瞰雄偉的艾格峰北壁，大幅縮短前往少女峰的時間。
少女峰齒軌火車
抵達 Eigergletscher（艾格冰河站）後，再轉乘世界聞名的少女峰齒軌火車（Jungfraubahn）。
這條鐵路於 1912 年完工，是瑞士工程史上的一項壯舉，其特色包括：
- 大部分路段均行駛於山體內部隧道。
- 穿越艾格峰（Eiger）與僧侶峰（Mönch）山腹。
- 最後抵達海拔 3,454 公尺的少女峰山坳（Jungfraujoch）車站。
什麼是齒軌火車？
普通火車依靠車輪與鋼軌之間的摩擦力前進，但坡度過陡時，摩擦力不足，車輪容易打滑。
因此，瑞士工程師在兩條鋼軌中央增設一條齒軌（Rack Rail），列車底部裝有齒輪（Pinion），與齒軌互相咬合。即使坡度高達 25%，列車仍能安全、平穩地攀登，因此少女峰鐵路也成為世界最著名的齒軌鐵路之一。
山上的主要景點
抵達少女峰山坳後，可以參觀：
- 斯芬克斯觀景台（Sphinx Observatory）：俯瞰阿萊奇冰川（Aletsch Glacier）。
- 冰宮（Ice Palace）：建於冰川內部，可欣賞各式冰雕。
- 冰雪平台（Plateau）：全年可近距離接觸積雪與冰川。
- Lindt 巧克力旗艦店：號稱世界上海拔最高的 Lindt 商店。
正因為集壯麗山岳、百年工程奇蹟、現代纜車與世界最高鐵路車站於一身，少女峰之旅不僅是一趟登山觀光，更是一場結合自然景觀與工程智慧的經典阿爾卑斯體驗。
「Top of Europe」是什麼？
許多人以為火車已經抵達少女峰山頂，其實並非如此。
列車真正抵達的是少女峰山坳（Jungfraujoch），位於少女峰（Jungfrau）與僧侶峰（Mönch）之間的山口，海拔 3,454 公尺。這裡建有歐洲最高的鐵路車站，因此被稱為 Top of Europe（歐洲之巔）。這是一個旅遊品牌名稱，並不是表示到達了歐洲最高峰。
真正的歐洲最高峰一般認為是位於高加索山脈、俄羅斯境內的厄爾布魯士峰（Mount Elbrus），海拔 5,642 公尺；若僅計算阿爾卑斯山，最高峰則是法國與義大利交界的白朗峰（Mont Blanc），海拔約 4,806 公尺。
At the Summit of the Alps — Jungfrau
Jungfrau rises in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland. Together with the Eiger (3,967 m / 13,015 ft) and the Mönch (4,107 m / 13,474 ft), it forms the most iconic trio of peaks in the Swiss Alps. Standing at 4,158 meters (13,642 feet), Jungfrau is one of the principal summits of the Bernese Alps and the centerpiece of the Jungfrau–Aletsch, a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its spectacular alpine scenery.
Reaching the Jungfraujoch (“Jungfrau Saddle”) requires two very different modes of transportation.
The Eiger Express Tricable Gondola
The first stage begins at Grindelwald Terminal, where visitors board the Eiger Express, a state-of-the-art tricable gondola that entered service in 2020. The journey takes approximately 15 minutes and offers breathtaking views of the famous north face of the Eiger, dramatically reducing the travel time to Jungfraujoch.
The Jungfrau Rack Railway
After arriving at Eigergletscher Station, passengers transfer to the world-famous Jungfrau Railway (Jungfraubahn).
Completed in 1912, the railway is regarded as one of Switzerland’s greatest engineering achievements. Its most remarkable features include:
Most of the route runs through tunnels carved deep inside the mountains. The railway passes through the interior of both the Eiger and the Mönch. It terminates at Jungfraujoch Station, situated at an elevation of 3,454 meters (11,332 feet). What Is a Rack Railway?
Conventional trains rely on the friction between their wheels and the rails for traction. On very steep slopes, however, friction alone is insufficient, causing the wheels to slip.
Swiss engineers solved this problem by installing a rack rail—a toothed rail—between the two standard rails. The train is equipped with a pinion gear underneath that meshes with the rack, allowing it to climb gradients of up to 25 percent safely and smoothly.
For this reason, the Jungfrau Railway has become one of the world’s most famous rack railways.
Highlights at Jungfraujoch
After arriving at Jungfraujoch, visitors can explore several remarkable attractions:
Sphinx Observatory — An observation platform offering spectacular panoramic views of the Aletsch Glacier, the largest glacier in the Alps. Ice Palace — A network of passages carved inside the glacier, featuring intricate ice sculptures. Plateau — An outdoor snowfield where visitors can experience year-round snow and glaciers up close. Lindt Flagship Store — Widely promoted as the highest-altitude Lindt chocolate shop in the world.
Combining magnificent alpine scenery, a century-old engineering masterpiece, modern cable-car technology, and Europe’s highest railway station, a visit to Jungfraujoch is far more than a mountain excursion. It is a classic Alpine experience that seamlessly blends the beauty of nature with the ingenuity of human engineering.
What Does “Top of Europe” Mean?
Many visitors assume that the train reaches the summit of Jungfrau, but this is not the case.
The railway actually terminates at Jungfraujoch, the mountain pass between Jungfrau and Mönch, at an elevation of 3,454 meters (11,332 feet). Because it is home to Europe’s highest railway station, Jungfraujoch has been marketed as the “Top of Europe.”
This is a tourism brand rather than a geographical claim. It does not mean that visitors have reached the highest mountain in Europe.
The mountain most commonly recognized as Europe’s highest peak is Mount Elbrus, located in the Caucasus Mountains of Russia, with an elevation of 5,642 meters (18,510 feet). If only the Alps are considered, the highest summit is Mont Blanc, on the border between France and Italy, rising to approximately 4,806 meters (15,768 feet).
