Jungfrau Region, Switzerland
Best Ski Resorts in Europe
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| English-speaking skiers have been flocking to The Jungrau area since 1910. (Switzerland Tourism) |
Switzerland's Jungfrau Top Ski Region is dominated by some of most famous summits in the Alps, notably the Eiger, the Jungfrau (which you can ascend via train, one of the best scenic rail journeys on the planet), and the Schilthorn.
There are three main resorts, connected by reliable train with temperate Interlaken deep in the valley below. Grindelwald (www.grindelwald.ch), Wengen (www.wengen-muerren.ch), Mürren and a couple of smaller centers at lower elevations are widely scattered in valleys connected by some 50 ski lifts and scores of runs. Terrain suitable for intermediate and advanced skiers and riders predominates. Multi-mile routes connect the three resorts, and the unsurpassed scenery is a bonus that comes with every lift pass.
With solid and traditional architecture, all three resorts exude an air of staidness and conservatism. A British Methodist minister named Harold Lunn brought the first English visitors to the Jungfrau Region in 1910-11, and his son, Sir Arnold Lunn, developed the first slalom race there a decade later.
The longest men's downhill race on the World Cup circuit is the Lauberhorn. Ski racers blitz this course in about two minutes, but recreational skiers ski it from a high, sun-kissed valley called Kleine Scheidegg down to Wengen at leisure.
This region has been especially popular with British skiers for nearly a century, and it's never lost its appeal with English-speakers. There's even an English-language weekly newspaper. Wengen and Mürren are car-free, which makes these resorts additionally pleasurable.
Snow Report: Europe
To generalize, snow in the Alps tends to be more powdery and abundant than what you'll find in New England, drier but less abundant than in the Sierra Nevada or Cascades, and also less abundant but wetter than the Rockies.
With verticals measured in thousands of feet, the conditions at higher elevations in the Alps are generally much better than down low near the villages.
Treeline in the Alps is pegged at about 4,000 feet, which results in grandiose tree-free bowls and snowfields; they're a joy when it's sunny but socked-in when it's cloudy or snowing.
