Jungfraujoch
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| Jungfraujoch | |
|---|---|
 The Jungfraujoch, on the skyline to the left of the Jungfrau |
|
| Elevation | 3471 m. |
| Location |  Switzerland |
| Range | Alps |
| Coordinates | |
Jungfraujoch (el. 3471 m.) is a col or saddle between the Mönch and the Jungfrau in the Bernese Alps on the boundary between the cantons of Bern and Valais.
Strictly, the Jungfraujoch is the lowest point on the mountain ridge between Mönch and Jungfrau, at 3471 m. It is just above this location that the mountain station of Jungfraubahn is located, which at an elevation of 3,454 metres is the highest railway station in Europe. The Jungfraujoch is often called the "Top of Europe" in tourist literature.
Not far east of the Joch rises a peak called the Sphinx, which tops out at an elevation of 3,571 metres. It begins from the Jungfraujoch on the Valais side and at the Great Aletsch Glacier. There is an elevator to the summit of the Sphinx, where a small viewing platform and a scientific observatory are located.
The Jungfraujoch is also home to one of the Global Atmosphere Watch's atmospheric research stations. The Jungfraujoch can only be accessed through a 7.3 km long cog railway tunnel, served by the Jungfraubahn, the highest in a series of cooperating railway companies that provide access to the Jungfraujoch from Interlaken.
[edit] The tunnel
Adolf Guyer-Zeller first thought of the idea of a tunnel in 1893 and at that point he had planned to have 7 stations inside the tunnel before reaching what is now the Sphinx. The building of the tunnel started in July 27, 1896 and took 30 years to finish. The construction phase was troubled by many problems including monetary shortages, inclement weather and mounting deaths due to construction accidents. The worst accident occurred in 1908, when 30 tons of dynamite accidentally exploded; it was so loud that people in Germany over 60 miles away heard the blast.
Once construction was halted, the tunnel reached only to the height of the Jungfraujoch, rather than the Sphinx, with only two intermediate stations. However, even in its current state, the Jungfraubahn is an awesome achievement in engineering and construction, still holding the title for highest railway in Europe.
