Reclaim Your Youth and Virginity

Icy views from the top of Jungfraujoch, the highest rail station on earth. Airy views from the restaurant made famous by James Bond at the top of the Schilthorn. Ambling the trail along the base of Eiger's infamous north face. Sniffing geraniums in the sleepy village of Murren. Biking the length of the Lauterbrunnen Valley, one of the world's deepest.

Quick Tips:

Avoid the peak summer season from June to mid-August. Early fall is an excellent time to visit, as the trees begin to change, crowds begin to thin, and prices begin to drop. Avoid Grindelwald at all costs. It's crowded and pricey year-round. Stay in Lauterbrunnen for less money, better views, and easier access. Stay in Wengen for the best views, but it's pricier. Don't prioritize Gimmelwald. Rick Steves has been there, done that. And so has everyone else.

Best Way To Get Around:

By all means, purchase a Jungfraurail pass. Your Eurail or Swissrail pass will not get you around on these private lines. The pass is for adults for unlimited travel for 6 consecutive days--more than enough to experience the far-flung reaches of this area. If you have a Swissrail pass already, they discount Jungfraurail passes to . A Jungfraurail pass will get you discounts on Jungfraujoch and Schilthorn, as well.

With the official marking and designation of a trail beneath the imposing north wall of Eiger, Switzerland now has yet another spectacular, high alpine trail. This trail is easy, comparatively short, and a MUST for visitors to the Jungfrau region.

The long route begins at Mannlichen, up the gondola from Wengen or Lauterbrunnen. But we recommend that you cut out lots of pointless elevation drop and gain by starting at the Eigergletscher Station on the train to Jungfraujoch. Indeed, it is an excellent outing to visit Jungfraujoch in the morning, get off the return train at Eigergletscher, and hike down the Eiger trail to Alpiglen. This is a 5-mile route that will take around 3 hours at a pleasant stroll.

You start out beneath the massive Eiger Glacier and can watch it calve and avalanche while you sip tea and prepare for the hike.

Then, the well-marked trail (marked by blue-and-yellow bars painted on boulders where the trail is not obvious) heads around a shoulder and then runs beneath the massive north face. Try to pick out climbers on the cliff or the windows where you peek out at the stop on the Jungfraujoch railway.

Two hours into the hike you'll reach a series of waterfalls, culminating in a fairly spectacular one. Another hour or so later, you'll reach the Alpiglen station on the Kleinn-Scheideg to Grindelwald railway.

This hike is best from late July to late September. Carry plenty of water, and trekking poles will make you more stable.

It may be pricey. It may be crowded. And it may be campy. But you can't skip out on a trip to the Jungfraujoch, the highest railway station in the world, 11,333 feet above sea level. You can get even higher if you take the elevator to the Sphinx weather station. It sits perched in the saddle between the Jungfrau and Monch, cloaked in perpetual ice.

The special train starts at Kleine-Scheidegg, up the mountain from either Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen. It heads up to Eigergletscher Station (jumping off point for the Eiger Trail, and killer close-up views of the Eiger Glacier). Then it enters the tunnel it will navigate all the way up through the heart of Eiger. At one point you can stop and peer out windows from halfway up the north face of Eiger. This is where rescuers disembark to help stranded climbers on Eiger. Then it continues its frighteningly steep climb up the tunnel through Monch to the Junfraujoch.

There is much to see and do at Jungfraujoch. Walk through labrynthine ice tunnels, marvel at ice sculptures, eat at several cafes, take the elevator to the Sphinx, Europe's highest weather station, slide around on the snow and ice, peer down the Aletsch glacier, the longest in the Alps, play with sled dogs, or ski in your shorts in August.

Prepare for blasting winds, cold temperatures, and sun that will burn you much faster than you think. The place is quite large and can be very confusing. Take a map and follow the signs.

Getting there can be pricey. The fare in Summer 2005 was $140USD roundtrip in first class from Lauterbrunnen or Grindelwald. Ouch! But you don't need to go in first class, and you don't mind leaving early and departing the Jungfraujoch by noon, because you're going to hike the Eiger trail in the afternoon. Which means you qualify for the Good Morning Fare, which is $114.05. And you also followed my advice and purchased a Jungfrau Railways pass, which means you get 50% off the Jungfraujoch leg, which brings it down to around $50. And if you can afford to vacation in Switzerland, you can afford the $50 to get to the top of Europe.

All those glaciers up there on the peaks above the Lauterbrunnen Valley begin to melt in the late spring. And since the valley is one of the deepest glacial valleys on earth, that means WATERFALLS. And at least one is visible from almost everywhere in the valley, and there is a very special one that is not visible from anywhere, except from behind. Or above.

Trummelbach Falls is located in a cave-like canyon deep within the walls of the Lauterbrunnen Valley. It is the most spectacular tourist-accessible slot canyon I've visited anywhere on earth. The atmosphere is far more like a cave than a canyon.

The glacial-fed stream blasts down through twisting falls within the circuitous canyon. You are taken by elevator to the top of the canyon and allowed to stroll through the cave-like passages and then out into the bright sun and down a network of stairs to the place where the stream bursts out of the canyon and into the valley.

This water was ice just a few hours before you see it flowing before your eyes, and the mist and wind it produces can chill you to the bone, even if it's a lovely 80°F in the valley outside. I recommend a coat or parka.

There is a lovely café on-site. Entrance to the falls is around $7 and definitely worth it.

You were smart and followed by advice on combining Trummelbach with a bicycling tour of the valley. But in case you didn't, you can get there by walking about 3km up the valley from Lauterbrunnen or by taking the valley bus from the train station in Lauterbrunnen to the Trummelbachfallen stop.

James Bond fans are not allowed to leave the Jungfrau region without taking the tram to Schilthorn. The famous Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service was filmed here, atop the craggy mountain.

Schilthorn is somewhat campy and touristy, as are most things in this region of Switzerland. But the views are stunning. And watching the paragliders leap off the cliff into a mile of vertical nothingness and float dreamily on the thermals is worth the tram price alone.

You can eat here in a rotating restaurant that is famous for champagne Bond breakfasts. The food is good, but pricey. Also, don't forget to catch the film about Schilthorn's history. It runs every 30 minutes.

The dizzyingly steep tram up to Schilthorn will ruffle even a skier's feathers. You can get there from Stechelberg (no rail service), at the head of the Lauterbrunnen Valley, stopping in Gimmelwald on the way. Or you can get there from Murren (where there is a cog railway accessible on your Jungraurail pass), via a private railway to Birg (included in the tram price) and then the gondola to the top.

Use your Jungfraurail Pass to get to Murren, then buy an early morning pass, departing Murren between 710am and 840am, and your round trip ticket will be around $38USD. Otherwise, plan on up to $55 round trip, depending on class.

It's best to use Schilthorn as your first stop in a transit of the Lauterbrunnen Valley, by going up through Murren ($10 in second class, one way), then down to Gimmelwald and Stechelburg ($29 in second class, one way). Then return to Lauterbrunnen on foot or bicycle, stopping off at Trummelbach falls on the way.

This is an excellent way to take in the glorious Lauterbrunnen Valley, one of the deepest glacial valleys on earth and one of the most spectacular places in all of Switzerland.

Begin at the railway station in Lauterbrunnen and take the cog railway up to Murren (included on your Jungfraurail pass). Stroll around this quaint, car-free village for awhile, then jump on the private railway to Birg (included in your $21 ticket to Schilthorn).

Take the nauseatingly steep tram up to the peak of Schilthorn and have a cheesy, pricey, but delicious, champagne James Bond breakfast in the rotating restaurant. Afterwards, stroll outside and take in the airy views.

Then head down the gondola to Gimmelwald. (Ticket down from Schilthorn to the bottom of the valley at Stechelberg costs around $29 and includes a stop in Gimmelwald.)

This once-sleepy farming village was discovered by Rick Steeves and is now as crowded as Interlaken. But it's still beautiful. Stroll the streets and meadows above the village and have some late-morning tea before heading down the tram to the head of the Lauterbrunnen Valley at Stechelberg.

Now, you can stroll or bike ($15) the valley back to Lauterbrunnen. There are dozens of places to stop and drink in the views of plummeting waterfalls and icy peaks.

Halfway back to Lauterbrunnen, take the obligatory tour of Trummelbach Falls, a spectacular slot canyon with thundering waterfalls. It'll cost you $7.

This is a great overview if you don't have much time. If you have lots of time, do this first and you'll know which spots you want to go back and visit in-depth.