Jungfraujoch: A Personal Reflection

Around 40 years ago, I visited Jungfraujoch with my dad. I remember the train ride up to Kleine Scheidegg, first by one train, then another to reach Jungfraujoch.

Back then, I didn’t appreciate the journey as much as I do now. For several reasons, I didn’t fully grasp what I was witnessing, and I didn’t have to pay for the trip.

I traveled from Japan with Hiromi to show her a beautiful place in Switzerland, which I appreciate more now. I found out that two round-trip tickets from Lauterbrunnen to Jungfraujoch cost about 500 euros, which isn’t cheap.

However, price is merely what I pay; value is what I gain. The value of this unique trip became clear when Hiromi and I stood in awe of the snow-capped mountains and the Aletsch Glacier. The sheer wonder of nature is astounding. We must also recognize the incredible effort of those who built the tunnels and railways to Kleine Scheidegg and Jungfraujoch. Many suffered injuries, and some even lost their lives, all in the pursuit of creating this engineering marvel.

Sometimes, we focus so much on the result that we forget the immense effort involved in places like Jungfraujoch.

That said, I wasn’t entirely pleased with the tourism and commercialism I found at Jungfraujoch. Discovering a Bollywood restaurant at the “Top of Europe” felt like a strange homecoming for me.

I’m not complaining; if most visitors are from India and China, it makes sense for businesses to cater to them. But sometimes, I think it’s nice to keep things simple and Swiss—just a bit more focus on watches, chocolates, and cowbells. But hey, what do I know? Just sharing my thoughts.

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