Travel Book for September 2009
Tour of the Jungfrau Region, A Two‐Week Trek in the Bernese Oberland ‐ By Kev Reynolds
The view from Schynige Platte is one of the finest in all the Alps, with the ice‐crested wall of the Bernese Alps spread out for inspection as your attention is inevitably drawn to the south. From left to right this wall comprises the Wellhorn, Wetterhorn, Bärglistock, Schreckhorn, Lauteraarhorn, Finsteraarhorn, Fiescherhorn, Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, Ebnefluh, Mittaghorn, Grosshorn, Breithorn, Tschingelhorn, Gspaltenhorn, Blüemlisalp and Doldenhorn; as grand a collection of mountains as you could wish to lay eyes upon. Glaciers and snowfields glisten among the peaks, while the deep U‐shaped Lauterbrunnen Valley forms a trench between Jungfrau and Gspaltenhorn, and the middle ground is fussed with green hills, bare slabs and black shadowed pines.
Much of this backdrop forms part of the Jungfrau‐Aletsch‐Bietschhorn UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site, the first in the Alps to be granted this status, in recognition of the extraordinary beauty of its landscape.
The Tour of the Jungfrau Region (TJR) makes a journey of around 111km through this area, in a constant adoration of mountain and valley, of lake, river and feathery cascade. And by choosing the most scenic trails and some of the most atmospheric places for an overnight stay, it has all the ingredients to ensure a memorable nine or ten‐day trek.
With such an array of iconic mountains as a background, it is no surprise that the Jungfrau Region counts among the most popular of any in the Alps. Since the birth of Alpine tourism in the 18th century, Grindelwald, Wengen, Lauterbrunnen and Mürren have been attracting visitors summer after summer to gaze on this backdrop, to climb its summits or to wander its trails. Over the decades hundreds of kilometres of new footpaths have been created, to join the timeless trails previously known only to local farmers, hunters, traders and crystal gatherers.
To service increasing numbers of visitors, hotels of all grades of luxury have added a kind of sophistication to the busiest of resorts, while more modest (but by no means less welcoming) inns, gasthofs and berghotels continue to provide accommodation and refreshment, often in remote and idyllic locations. Add to these the mountain huts and simple matratzenlagers (dormitories) created to meet the demands of the outdoor fraternity, and it will be clear that the region has a lot going for it!
Kev Reynolds, 2009
Tour of the Jungfrau Region by Kev Reynolds is published by Cicerone (paperback; £12.95). It is also available through amazon.co.uk and all good booksellers.
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