Switzerland, Europe

When driving over the Gotthard Pass, one of the best places to stop is at Punto panoramico San Gottardo near the town of Airolo in Switzerland. The scenic views all around are awe inspiring. Glad we decided not to take the tunnel.

We really loved these frozen lake reflections at the Gotthard pass in Switzerland. The drive over the pass is so much better than taking the tunnel. Incredible views.

On our drive to the accommodation in Grindelwald we stopped to look at the Lungernersee near the town of Lungern in Switzerland. Insanely blue, this colour of some of the lakes is phenomenal.

A train passing near the town of Grindelwald in Switzerland. It was truly lovely to see these trains in the landscape while sitting on the terrace of our airbnb chalet.

Bluish, furrowed ice blocks under a blanket of eternal snow at the Eismeer Railway Station, a great stop on our way up to the Jungfraujoch in Switzerland. We took the Jungfraubahn which is the highest railway in Switzerland and Europe, running 9 kilometres from the station of Kleine Scheidegg (2.061m to the Jungfraujoch (3.454m), well above the perennial snow line. As a consequence, the railway runs essentially within the Jungfrau Tunnel, built into the neighbouring Eiger and Mönch, to protect the line from snow and extreme weather.

Looking at 4000m high peaks from the Eismeer Railway Station. It's a five minute stop on the Jungfraubahn up to the Jungfraujoch in Switzerland. It provided some great views on the high peaks in this part of the Alps.

The Jungfraujoch plateau at the Jungfraujoch in Switzerland. This plateau can be reached relatively easy and provides for some spectacular views over the surrounding mountains and valleys. I did go there myself and it is truly breathtaking.

The Aletsch glacier up close as seen from the Jungfraujoch in Switzerland. Despite all the horror stories this glacier is going to be here for a very long time.

The Aletsch Glacier is the largest glacier in the Alps. It has a length of about 23 km, has about a volume of 15.4 km3 and covers about 81.7 km2 in the eastern Bernese Alps in the Swiss canton of Valais. The Aletsch Glacier is composed of four smaller glaciers converging at Konkordiaplatz, where its thickness was measured by the ETH to be still near 1 km.

It's really not safe to walk on the Aletsch glacier because of all the treacherous cravices. Great view from the Jungfraujoch in Switzerland though.

A huge pack of snow on top of one of the mountains that can be seen at the Jungfraujoch in Switzerland. It's a thrilling experience to see this up close.

Long tunnels of ice inside the Ice palace underneath the Aletsch Glacier at the Jungfraujoch in Switzerland. Mountain guides created the aisles and halls in the 1930s with picks and saws in the middle of the Jungfraufirn. Today, artists create ice sculptures with a great deal of flair. On a mirror-smooth tour through a frosty world, visitors will discover their works of art in nooks and crannies. Every year the entrance to the Ice palace needs to be adjusted as the glacier slowly moves.

Amazing ice structures inside the Aletsch Glacier, all part of the Ice palace at the Jungfraujoch in Switzerland. Several layers of coloured ice are clearly visible. Even though the temperature is minus 3 degrees Celcius it didn't really feel that cold.

Arches and walkways inside the Aletsch Glacier, all part of the so-called Ice palace at the Jungfraujoch in Switzerland. Quite a surreal feeling to know you're walking inside a moving glacier.

We did not really dare to go into this dark tunnel in the ice while exploring the Ice palace underneath the Aletsch Glacier at the Jungfraujoch in Switzerland. Awesome to see though.

Breathtaking views at an elevation of 3.463 metres from the Jungfraujoch viewing platform in The Swiss Alps, Switzerland. Although it was pretty cold outside I really felt being on top of the world.

After our mountain experience we were waiting for the train back to the centre of Grindelwald in Switzerland. We were really impressed with the Swiss railways, clean and very punctual.

Two alpine cows sharing a drink near the town of Grindelwald in Switzerland. We were surprised to see many cows freely roaming around here.

Looking over meadows full of Spring wildflowers near the town of Grindelwald in Switzerland. Not a bad place to be with a cup of tea in the hand and the sound of cow bells in the background.

While comfortably enjoying the afternoon sun, black clouds formed in the mountains near the town of Grindelwald in Switzerland. It didn't take long before we hade some serious rain.

Enjoying a magnificent overview of the Rhine Falls near the town of Dachsen in Switzerland. Before this road trip I had never heard of these falls but glad we made a little detour to admire them.

Looking down on the observation rock in the middle of the Rhine Falls near the town of Dachsen in Switzerland. It allows people to get really close to the raging water.

Amazing to see how this magnificent rock formation is still standing at the Rhine Falls near the town of Dachsen in Switzerland. The river is pushing itself around and through the rocks with unbelievable force.

Swirling colours at the Rhine Falls near the town of Dachsen in Switzerland. The swirling makes the water showing all sorts of blueish and grayish colours. Great to see this up close.

The water is coming from all sides at the Rhine Falls near the town of Dachsen in Switzerland. It's an amazing spectacle with deafening sounds. Easy to get very wet too as it's possible to get very close to the raging water.