Hainan Airlines Jungfrau Travelogue

Have you ever been to Europe? If you have climbed the Eiffel Tower in Paris, visited the Neuschwanstein Castle in Fussen, Germany, listened to a concert at the Vienna Musikverein in Austria, toured the windmill Village in the Netherlands, seen the Atomic Sphere in Brussels, Belgium, or taken a ride on the Gondola in Venice, Italy, then you haven't truly been to Europe.

Yes, because you haven't climbed the roof of Europe - Jungfrau.

The Jungfrau is a famous mountain in Switzerland, with an altitude of 4,158 meters. It is located 18 kilometers southeast of Interlaken and is part of the Alps. Like a young girl, with long hair flowing and dressed in a silver coat, she lies peacefully on her back among the white clouds.

If you visit Switzerland and don't climb the Jungfrau, it will surely be a lifelong regret.

In the late summer of 2011, I was honored to enjoy the beauty of Jungfrau together with the beautiful women and handsome men from the HNA crew. The beauty of Jungfrau is full of vitality and change. From the foot of the mountain to the top, the scenery within one mountain is completely different. Snowflakes are fluttering on the mountain top, and snow mist fills the air, presenting a spectacular scene of a world of ice and snow. Below the mountainside, however, there stretches as far as the eye can see, the emerald green of the grass and the bright yellow of the mountain flowers. On the gentle hillside, cattle are scattered, and the sound of cattle bells echoes through the valley. The villages in the valley are peaceful and serene, and people live a simple, unadorned and leisurely life.

All of this precisely constitutes the unique and charming atmosphere of the Alps, making everyone who comes here reluctant to leave, as if they were in a celestial realm.

Our trip to the Jungfrau began in Interlaken, a scenic mountain nestled between the crystal-clear lakes of Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. The melting snow from the glaciers on the summit nourishes the cities and villages at the foot of the mountain. Two lakes are born because of the Jungfrau, like the glistening tears of a maiden, gentle and beautiful. Interlaken has also become one of the most famous vacation destinations in Switzerland and even in Europe because it is a must-pass place on the way to the Jungfrau.

In fact, the entire mountain climbing process is a progressive process of transferring to mountain climbing trains. To reach the summit of Jungfrau, one needs to transfer to three different mountain trains, starting from Interlaken to the "waterfall town" Lauterbrunnen, then passing through KleineScheidegg to the "top of Europe" Jungfraujoch station. The altitude gradually rises from 567 meters to 3,454 meters. The train was getting smaller and smaller, the mountain gradually rose higher and higher, and the scenery underwent completely different changes. Each time, it was unexpected.

The train climbed up all the way, and the small yellow wildflowers followed closely. Their wild and charming appearance was somewhat stubborn, determined to engage in a fierce battle with the harsh living environment here, desperately proving the "flower survival philosophy" that one must bloom no matter how difficult it is. Looking up, the frozen snow-capped mountains are half bright and half dim in the clouds and mist, swaying unsteadily as if they were mirages.

Before we could fully appreciate the beautiful scenery, we arrived at Top of Europe. In fact, the so-called "Top of Europe" is precisely a station carved out of the Alps, which connects to the observation hall embedded in the sheer cliff of the Jungfrau glacier.

It was only when we came here that we realized it was just a beautiful misunderstanding. In fact, the highest peak in Europe is Mont Blanc, which is located on the border between France and Italy. However, the highest peak on the Swiss mainland is not Jungfrau, but Mount Tirex, which is situated in the Lucerne Lake region. The Jungfrau became famous perhaps not because of its altitude, but because of another man-made wonder here - the cog railway.

This special railway was specially designed for climbing steep rock walls. The Jungfraubahn tram uses Strub cogwheel railway, with a total length of about 7 kilometers and a maximum slope of up to 25%. It was designed by Swiss railway engineer Adolf Guyer Zeller and construction began in 1896, lasting for 16 years. It was opened to traffic in 1912. About three quarters of its section passes through the rock walls of tunnels under glaciers, and the difficulty of the project is no less than that of China's Qinghai-Xizang Railway.

Through the tunnel, we arrived outdoors and were completely stunned by the beautiful scenery before us... The Great Aletsch Glacier, the longest glacier in Europe, is just around the corner.

Everyone also became excited.

Actually, short sleeves are still a bit cold! But brother, you're young!!"

Take a look at this pose. Do you all understand?

HNA  Hna Group!

After enjoying a sumptuous meal in the restaurant, we also visited the "Super Ice Palace". This ice palace is carved 30 meters beneath the longest glacier in Europe, Aleci, and is filled with various realistic animal ice sculptures, silently telling the history of the glacier.

On the way down the mountain, as the altitude decreased, my body gradually became more comfortable and my breathing became smoother. When I climbed the mountain in the early morning, the thick fog that had accumulated had completely dissipated. Looking around, every leaf in the green mountains and verdant valleys was shining with light. In Grindelwald, a small green train has been put on, with a narrow body and large Windows that can still be opened. Tourists can stick their heads out to look at the peaceful and quiet village at the foot of the Jungfrau. Everything seems like a dream, or perhaps just the awakening from a dream.

Jungfrau and Mount Huangshan in China have both been listed as World Natural Heritage Sites by UNESCO. "Once you have visited Mount Huangshan, no other mountain is worth seeing." What about the Jungfrau? If I have to describe the beauty of the Jungfrau in one sentence, I would say: Everywhere is a postcard. Here, there are lush grasslands, quiet forests, magnificent snow-capped mountains, clear lakes and picturesque villages.

The short trip is coming to an end, and the beautiful scenery and wonderful memories will be imprinted in our minds.