On this bridge in the Bernese Oberland, the journey is the reward

A canton of their own, the Bernese Oberland – that is the dream of quite a few Confederates who live between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz and the main ridge of the Bernese Alps. At the time of the Helvetic Republic, the region was actually separated from the canton of Bern for five years (1798 to 1803) and enjoyed independence as the canton of Oberland. After reunification with the "mother canton", the name Bernese Oberland remained. In 1953 the mountainous region received its own flag.

At that time, the Bernese Oberland had already successfully established itself as a tourist brand within Switzerland, mainly thanks to the Jungfrau Railway, which has been taking thousands upon thousands of tourists to the Jungfraujoch every year since 1912. In the pre-Corona year 2019 there were 1.056 million guests. And this number will soon be even higher, because with the Eiger-Express gondola lift, which was inaugurated at the end of 2020, 2,200 tourists per hour can travel from Grindelwald to the Eigergletscher station at 2,328 meters.

There they change to the historic Jungfrau Railway, which runs mostly through a tunnel on the 9.34-kilometer route. The terminal station at 3454 meters - it is the highest railway station in Europe (Top of Europe) - is located in the rock. From there, the lift takes you to the Sphinx viewing terrace, where visitors can enjoy a wide view of the Aletsch Glacier (World Heritage Site).

The mountains Mönch, Eiger and Jungfrau tower in the immediate vicinity of the Jungfraujoch. The triumvirate is the symbol of the Bernese Oberland; In 1811, the 4,158 meter high Jungfrau was the first four-thousander in Switzerland to be climbed. And then there is the Schilthorn; it owes its popularity to the "Piz Gloria" at 2970 meters. The futuristic-looking restaurant revolves around its own axis. It served as the setting for a James Bond film in 1969.

In 2014, the Glacier 3000 ski area was crowned with the Peak Walk by Tissot, literally. Because the 107 meter long suspension bridge connects the two highest mountain peaks in the glacier region, the 2971 meter high main summit of the Scex Rouge and the five meter lower sub-summit.

The journey is the reward – this is undisputedly true of the globally unique steel construction, since its purpose “only” is to offer views of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, Matterhorn and Mont Blanc. The fact that tourists can stage themselves spectacularly on the bridge is a bonus. Glacier 3000 is located "cross-border" between the posh holiday resort of Gstaad in the Bernese Oberland and Les Diablerets in the canton of Vaud.

Whether they were successful or not, all the alpinists who attempted to climb the 1,800-metre north face of the Eiger in the 1930s are known by name. But not the man who, three decades earlier, was the first to step through a blasted hole at a height of 600 meters onto a ledge and thus stood higher up in the north face than anyone before him. He was probably one of the workers who "opened" the rock window during the construction of the Jungfrau Railway (1896 to 1912) to haul out debris.

Later mountain rescuers used the so-called tunnel hole 3.8 for relief operations. The rescue of the Berchtesgaden alpinist Toni Kurz was particularly dramatic; the thriller "Nordwand" staged the plot in 2008.

As luck would have it, the following year, the Grindelwald agency Eiger Vision (today Outdoor Switzerland AG) made the tunnel hole 3.8 accessible to tourists. Which sounds more complicated than it is. Because from the point in the Eiger Tunnel, where the Jungfrau Railway has stopped since 2009 specifically for those aspiring to the North Face, it is not far to the tunnel hole door.

It takes courage to step outside, especially since the ledge behind the threshold is only half a meter wide. But the tourists are well secured and can climb a bit on the north face in the direction of the Heckmair route. The name goes back to the Munich mountaineer Andreas Heckmair, who succeeded in 1938 with three friends in climbing the north face for the first time.

Every year in December, the "Grimsel Hospice" becomes the most secluded four-star hotel in Switzerland: When the Grimsel Pass between the Bernese Oberland and Upper Valais is closed, there is only one way to the hospice, and that leads first through the tunnel system of a hydroelectric power station and then by cable car up to 2000 meters altitude.

That is why a hotel guide accompanies holidaymakers to the hermitage. Or better yet, winery – the Grimsel Hospice's wine cellar, which has 300 rarities, is legendary and, in addition to the peace and quiet, is an important reason for booking for many guests.

A break in a hospice (as people used to call hostels on mountain passes in Switzerland) is limited to five days at a time; because in the winter season the house closes on Mondays and Tuesdays to replenish all supplies.

The "Big Pintenfritz", the longest toboggan run in Europe, is 15 kilometers long. But before the fun comes the ascent, and it's a long one: Part of the route from Grindelwald to the starting point on the Faulhorn (2,681 meters) can be covered with the mountain railway, it ends at the First station (2,166 meters), and from there you go it further on foot.

The view of the imposing north face of the Wetterhorn and the majestic Schreckhorn (4,078 meters), the northernmost four-thousander in the Alps, makes up for the five-kilometer hike. After two and a half hours you will reach the "Faulhorn" mountain hotel.

Built in 1830, it was the highest restaurant in the Alps and, unlike today, is open in winter. Fritz Bohren, alias “Pintenfritz”, who ran the hotel around the turn of the century, is said to have taken guests from the Faulhorn to Grindelwald on the horn sled. At that time, "Steinmannli" served as orientation along the path; Today, the "Big Pintenfritz" sledge run is well marked - and significantly faster.

"It was in this terrifying place that Sherlock Holmes defeated Professor Moriarty on May 4, 1891"

This inscription has been emblazoned on a rock above the Reichenbach Falls for 31 years. Together with a star, it marks the spot where Arthur Conan Doyle crashed Sherlock Holmes and his worst enemy in his 1893 novel The Last Problem. In 1991, a Sherlock Holmes Museum opened in the nearby town of Meiringen, where the master detective spent the night before his "death".

Bizarre, record-breaking, typical: You can find more parts of our regional geography series here.

A third of all glaciers are in danger of disappearing. "It also affects the Aletsch Glacier in the Swiss Alps," says Dr. Alexander Hildebrand. The meteorologist uses photo comparisons to show how the glacier melt is progressing - and what effects this is having on the Rhine.

Source: WORLD / Alexander Hildebrand