Chapter 781: Top of Europe
In fact, this part of the journey is more like a walk in a fairyland.
Because the altitude has exceeded 2,000 meters, the view here has become very poor, at a glance, there is a white snow mist everywhere, and occasionally a mountain wind blows, blowing away the white snow fog a little, and you can see those giant-like peaks not far away.
But in the blink of an eye, these giants will be obscured by the snow and mist again, as if they are unwilling to show their majesty to the world.
The train made a dull "clacking" sound, and slowly but surely approached the tunnel in the middle of the mountain along the zigzag railway. Soon, the train was headlong into the black rumbling tunnel.
This tunnel is probably the most famous train tunnel in Europe and the whole world.
The seven-kilometre-long tunnel with a maximum gradient of 25 degrees spirals up the interior of a snow-covered granite mountain. It took Switzerland 14 years to excavate, from 1898 to 1912, and is one of the legendary projects in the history of the world's railways.
There are two small stations in the tunnel, Eigerand (2,865 m above sea level) and Eismeer (3,160 m above sea level), with trains stopping for 5 minutes each.
At these two small stations, Grandmaster and Fang Zhengying got off the train and stood in front of the glass windows carved through the rock wall of the tunnel, admiring the snow-capped mountains and glaciers not far away.
After arriving at this position, the line of sight opened up again, the fierce mountain wind made the snow fog unable to hold at all, and the snow fog that blocked people's vision just now could only churn under the soles of their feet, and when they looked at it from a distance, it was as if they were above the fairyland.
The terminal of the cogwheel train is located at the top of Europe railway station at an altitude of 3,454 meters.
As you can tell from the name of this railway station, this railway station is located entirely in the heart of the mountain and is the highest railway station in Europe. The railway station was built in a mountain close to the Jungfrau Mountain, and the rails and the main body of the station were not visible from the outside.
However, after getting off this train station, you can directly take the high-speed elevator to climb more than 100 meters to reach the highest observatory in Europe, the Sphinx Observatory at an altitude of 3,571 meters.
The observatory has been converted into an observation deck from which you can enjoy a close view of the Jungfrau at an altitude of 4,158 meters and the nearby peaks of Eiger and Mench. It is also possible to admire the Aletsch Glacier, which is located between the Jungfrau and the MΓΆnch Peak.
Stretching for 24 kilometers and reaching a width of 1.6 kilometers, the Aletsch Glacier is the largest glacier in the Alps and the most spectacular glacier in the whole of Europe.
It's a pity that this glacier is gradually melting due to global warming, and it may not be many years before future generations can no longer enjoy this beautiful glacier.
The Sphinx Observatory is located at an altitude of more than 3,500 meters above sea level, and at this time of year, it is simply a shame to watch the outdoor scenery here.
The low temperature and strong mountain wind made it impossible for people to stay outside for long, so the Grandmaster and Fang Zhengying held on outside for less than five minutes, and they were frozen back indoors in embarrassment, just like other tourists.
Although you can't play outdoors for a long time, there are still a lot of fun and beautiful scenery indoors.
The grandmaster and Fang Zhengying took the elevator hand in hand to the Alpine Shock Experience Hall under the Sphinx Observatory, which is not only warm as spring, but also can understand the process of developing Jungfrau through the furnishings of this experience hall.
Fang Zhengying pointed to a model of Jungfrau and said to the grandmaster: "This model is the three-dimensional model of the entire Jungfraujoch. Fourteen years, I can't imagine how they were able to dig such a long Jungfrau railway under such difficult conditions. β
The Grandmaster also nodded and said, "Yes, in that era more than a hundred years ago, it was really not easy to dig such a railway. β
Fang Zhengying pointed to a painting next to the model and said: "Look, this painting is the scene when the Swiss Mayer brothers first climbed to the top of Jungfrau in 1811. β
"These two were the first to climb the Jungfraujoch?" the Grandmaster asked.
"Well, the two of them were the first to conquer Jungfrauch. Isn't it amazing?"
The Grandmaster said in a low voice, "When I return to China, I will take you to conquer the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain! β
Just like in previous lives, there are still many peaks in this world that have never been conquered by humans, such as Meili Snow Mountain, and the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain as the Grandmaster said.
Fang Zhengying stuck out her tongue, shook her head and said, "I haven't lived enough, I won't be brain-dead enough to climb the main peak of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, it's enough to look at the foot of the mountain." β
After coming out of the experience hall, the two of them went to the Ice Palace again.
This ice palace is a large hole dug inside the glacier. Due to the greenhouse effect, some parts of the ice palace are constantly moving, with the fastest moving places moving at speeds of up to 15 centimeters per year. The passage leading to the Ice Palace was also carved out of the glacier, because it was full of ice, so it was very slippery, and if you were not careful, you would fall on your stomach in it.
The grandmaster took Fang Zhengying's hand, and walked cautiously through the passage with a smile, and some tourists were also in the whole path, falling on his heels was essential, and the grandmaster and Fang Zhengying laughed when they watched.
After entering the Ice Palace, it is like entering the legendary Ice Crystal Palace, where there are a large number of ice sculptures, all kinds of shapes, crystal clear, and beautiful......
After having lunch at the Binghe Restaurant, because they couldn't be outdoors, Grandmaster and Fang Zhengying had to visit the highest post office in Europe hand in hand, and bought a large stack of postcards here, wrote the address, and sent them to relatives and friends in Dahua.
And, of course, the highest cinema in Europe, the highest shops in Europe......
There was a little bit of unpleasantness on the way back in the afternoon. Grandmaster and Fang Zhengying bought a good morning ticket to climb the mountain, and tourists who bought this kind of ticket must take the train at twelve o'clock at noon to go down the mountain according to the regulations, but the two of them were so happy because they had fun, and they didn't know that there was such a rule, so they missed the train down the mountain.
When they wanted to go back at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, they were told that they needed to pay for the tickets......
Although there was a little unpleasantness at the end, the day was generally very comfortable. Back in Interlaken, the duo didn't even spend another night in this beautiful town, but drove further west to Geneva, another famous city in Switzerland......
PS: Bow and thank "Kunpeng 3357" for a big 200 tip.