The Ice Palace in Switzerland is located at the top of the Jungfrau mountain in the Swiss Alps. The Jungfrau is the highest mountain peak in Switzerland, and can only be reached by railway. This article will show you how to see the Ice Palace.
Step 1: Reach Switzerland. If you are traveling from overseas or another country outside of Europe, you can take a flight into Switzerland. The best airport to fly into is Zurich, because there are more nonstop flights and the flights are less expensive. Geneva would be your second choice.
Step 2: Get to the Bernese Oberland region in Switzerland. Once you get to either Geneva or Zurich, you can take a train to Interlaken. Interlaken is a town at the base of the mountains, and is a good starting place for making excursions to the Jungfrau. You can also reach other mountain peaks in the region, such as the Schilthorn, where the Piz Gloria Restaurant is located (used in the filming of a James Bond Movie, “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”).
To travel by train from Zurich or Geneva to Interlaken, you can take the scenic Golden Pass line, or another route. If you will be in the area for more than one or two days, your best bet is to purchase a Swiss Rail Pass for unlimited rail travel for a certain number of days. (It costs extra to visit Jungfrau, but it is half off with a Swiss rail pass.) Use the Rail Europe site listed to purchase a Swiss Rail Pass and/or train ticket from Interlaken to Jungfrau.
Note: You can travel free with a Swiss Rail pass from Interlaken to Grindelwald or Wengen. It is only there that you need the ticket to Jungfrau.
Step 3: Determine if you will stay overnight in the region. If you are going to make this trip more than just a one day excursion, you’ll need somewhere to stay. You could stay in Interlaken, so that you are at the bottom of the mountains at night, and near the lakes. Interlaken is close by to Lake Brienz and Lake Thun, which offer boating excursions and more during the summer. One great choice of Hotel is the Hotel du Lac in Interlaken. It is owned by the Hofmann family, and everyone is extremely friendly. The hotel is right across from the train station, giving you easy access to reach Jungfrau. (The website is listed in the resources.)
Step 4: Once you reach Interlaken, you can begin your train trip to the Ice Palace on the Jungfrau. You can hop on a train that is going towards the Jungfrau. You first need to reach Grindelwald. If it’s a nice day, you could stop and hike around in the Lauterbrunnen Valley on your way to the Jungfrau. Just realize that it takes 2.5 hours by train to reach the top of the Jungfrau, one way. Make sure to give yourself enough time for everything.
Step 5: Purchase your rail ticket to Jungfraujoch, Top of Europe. You don’t need to do this until reaching Grindelwald. This is the point at which you will be asked for your specific Jungfrau ticket. Before that, you will be asked to display your Swiss Rail Pass.
Step 6: Get on the Jungfraubahn, with your purchased ticket, and enjoy the ascent to the Jungfrau mountain peak. You will go through tunnels, with scenic five minute stops that allow you to get off the train and look at the valley below.
Step 7: Arrive at the top of the Jungfrau. You will get off the train and then follow the directions through the tunnels to reach the Ice Palace. When you first walk into the Ice Palace, you will see that the ceilings, floors and walls are all made of ice. There are railings to help you from falling. Once inside, you will find many different ice sculptures, such as one of Mickey Mouse. There are two sculptures without faces, allowing you to get behind the sculptures and poke your head through for some interesting photos. It doesn’t cost an extra fee to go into the sculpture, once you’ve paid your rail ticket to Jungfrau.
Step 8: Explore the rest of Jungfrau. Once you see the Ice Palace, you can visit the souvenir shops, or eat in one of the restaurants. One great dish to try is the Goulash soup, a hearty soup with beef and vegetables, available at many dining places in the area.
Step 9: Take the elevator up to the Sphinx Observatory. From here, you will get a great view of the valley below. On clear days, you can see the whole way down to the town of Interlaken and the two lakes, Brienz and Thun. You can stay inside and view it from through the glass, or you can walk outside. You can leave the Observatory and walk across the snow to see the rest of the top of the mountain peak. Just make sure to stay in areas marked as being safe for visitors to walk through.
Tips:
Try to pick a day that is clear. Often, there will be a cloud cover that hangs right below the mountain peaks, blocking your view of Interlaken and the Lauterbrunnen Valley below. Although the sights are still beautiful, you will miss out if you can’t see everything.
The weather gets much colder as you head up into the Swiss Alps. It may be 60 degree fahrenheit in Interlaken, but only 30 to 40 degree fahrenheit on top of the Jungfrau. Take your coat along.
Bring your hiking boots or snow boots. You will want adequate footwear if you will be hiking in the valleys. If you care to hike on the top of the Jungfrau, you want waterproof boots with traction.
Bring money for souvenirs. There are a few nice shops on the top of the Jungfrau, as well as on the trip there. The train makes many stops in small, scenic towns along the way.
Sources: www.Raileurope.com
www.dulac-interlaken.ch
http://www.jungfraubahn.ch/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-8//183_read-808/
