United Kingdom x Jungfrau Region

There are countless routes that lead from the United Kingdom to the Jungfrau Region.

The most common connections at a glance:

• London St Pancras → Basel SBB (via Paris) by train: 8.5 hours
• London → Zurich, Basel or Geneve Airport by airplane: 1.5 hours
• Basel SBB → Jungfrau Region by train: ~3 hours
• Zurich Airport → Jungfrau Region by train: ~3 hours
• Geneva Airport → Jungfrau Region by train: ~4 hours

For train enthusiasts, we recommend taking the Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris, the TGV from Paris to Basel SBB and from there on the train to the Jungfrau Region.

Train fans will also get their money's worth im the Jungfrau Region, for example with a trip on the Jungfrau Railway to the Jungfraujoch - Top of Europe; the highest railway station in Europe. A ride on the cogwheel train from Lauterbrunnen to Wengen with spectacular views of the Lauterbrunnen Valley or a trip on one of the many funiculars will also get the train hearts racing.

Admittedly, the train journey from London to the Jungfrau Region is a long one, but the journey itself is already the reward. If your clients want to travel faster, they can take one of the many SWISS or British Airways flights to Basel, Zurich or Geneva Airport and continue their journey to the Jungfrau Region in comfort by train.

The UK and the Jungfrau Region have a long history. In the early years of the 20th century, mountain resorts in Switzerland became popular as winter holiday destinations. Skiing did not yet exist at that time, but winter sports were already established and guests practised cross-country skiing, ice skating and curling.  

The first curlers in Switzerland were Scottish gentlemen who knew the game from their homeland and practised it during their winter holidays in Switzerland, including Mürren, Wengen and Grindelwald.

The British also brought skiing to the Jungfrau Region; Sir Arnold Lunn is regarded as the father of the slalom and downhill disciplines and invented ski racing in Mürren. In 1922, the first official slalom race in the history of skiing was organised in Mürren - under the leadership of winter sports enthusiasts from Britain.

Lunn and his colleagues founded the Kandahar Ski Club in Mürren in 1924 to cultivate and promote ski racing. The exclusive Kandahar Club still exists today with its own premises in Mürren and hospitality at the exclusive London Oriental Club.

On the opposite side of the valley in Wengen, a no less exclusive ski club, the "Downhill only Club", was also founded by Brits in 1925. Its members competed in races with those of the Kandahar Club. “Downhill only" still exists today.

A fictional character has also helped Mürren to become famous. In 1969, the James Bond film "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" was shot on the Schilthorn. The revolving restaurant on the summit owes its current name "Piz Gloria" to the film production.

Wengen and Mürren are still among the favourite destinations of British winter sports enthusiasts. During the season, you can sometimes hear more British English than Swiss German in the villages.

Did you know what the famous British master detective has to do with the tranquil village of Meiringen in the Jungfrau Region?

Arthur Conan Doyle was so impressed by the wildness of the Reichenbach Falls near Meiringen that he decided to have his world-famous detective Sherlock Holmes crash and die in the waterfalls during his battle with his arch-enemy Professor Moriarty. A Sherlock Holmes memorial plaque at the Reichenbach Falls railway still commemorates this today - over 120 years later. The soul of the master detective has haunted Meiringen ever since – there are many Sherlock Holmes activities for your guests to experience in the Jungfrau Region.