- Jungfrau
Infobox Mountain
Name = Jungfrau
Photo = Jungfrau01.jpg
Caption = Jungfrau as seen fromInterlaken
Elevation = convert|4158|m|ft|0
Location =Switzerland
Range =Bernese Alps
Prominence = convert|704|m|ft|0|abbr=on
latd= 46|latm=32 |lats=12.5 |latNS=N
longd=7 |longm=57 |longs=45.5 |longEW=E
pushpin_
Coordinates = coord|46|32|12.5|N|7|57|45.5|E|region:CH_type:mountain|display=inline,title
TopographicType = | Age =
First ascent =1811 by J. Meyer, H. Meyer
Easiest route=basic snow/ice climbInfobox World Heritage Site
WHS =Jungfrau -Aletsch-Bietschhorn
State Party = SUI
Type = Natural
Criteria = vii, viii, ix
ID = 1037
Region = Europe and North America
Year = 2001
Session = 25th
Extension = 2007
Link = http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1037The Jungfrau (German: "maiden/virgin") is the highest peak of a mountainmassif of the same name, located in theBernese Oberland region of theSwiss Alps , overlookingWengen . The other two peaks are theEiger (3,970 m) with its famous north face, and theMönch (4,099 m).The summit of the mountain was first reached in 1811 by the Meyer brothers of
Aarau . Once difficult to access, theJungfraubahn cog railway now runs inside the mountain, up to theJungfraujoch railway station at convert|3454|m|ft|0|abbr=on, the highest in Europe.The train into the mountain leaves from
Kleine Scheidegg , which can be reached by trains fromGrindelwald andLauterbrunnen . The train enters the tunnel running eastward through the Eiger shortly after leaving Kleine Scheidegg.It runs close behind the Eiger's north face, stopping at Eigerwand, where there is a window about 8 m long and a metre high, halfway up the face. The windows have been placed in holes used to remove excavated rock from the tunnel during construction, and are also occasionally used as access points to rescue climbers. This window was used for one of the final scenes of a
Clint Eastwood spy movie the "The Eiger Sanction". There one can get off the train to admire the view before the train continues five minutes later. The tunnel then turns west, heading towards the Jungfrau. There is a second stop at a window looking out on the Eismeer ("Sea of Ice") before the train continues to the Jungfraujoch. The tunnel was constructed between 1898 and 1912; it is about 7 km (4 mi) long, with gradients of up to 25%. The journey from Kleine Scheidegg to Jungfraujoch takes approximately 50 minutes including the stops at Eigerwand and Eismeer; the downhill return journey taking only 35 minutes.A large complex of tunnels and buildings has been constructed at the Jungfraujoch, mostly into the south side of the Mönch. There is a hotel, two restaurants, an observatory, a research station, a small cinema, a ski school, and the "Ice Palace", a collection of elaborate
ice sculpture s. Another tunnel leads outside to a flat, snow-covered area, where one can walk around and look down to theKonkordiaplatz and theAletsch Glacier , as well as the surrounding mountains.External links
* [http://www.jungfraubahn.ch/en/DesktopDefault.aspx/tabid-8/183_read-808/ Jungfraujoch Top of Europe]
* [http://www.swisspanorama.com/ Live Webcam at Jungfraujoch Top of Europe]
* [http://www.fotogalerien.ch/index.php?gallery=26&&lang=2&pct=20 Photo Eiger Mönch and Jungfrau]
* [http://www.fotogalerien.ch/index.php?gallery=33&&lang=2&pct=2 Photo Jungfrau from Kleine Scheidegg]
* [http://photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=fe71d8c8-f25d-4300-9fdc-217281f1feb8 Photosynth from Harder Kulm] Free Photosynth addon needed.
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