White, white, and more white! Everywhere you look, it's dazzlingly white. Gazing at the snow-covered peaks of the Alps feels like drifting in a kingdom of clouds. Just as you saw in the video—it's exactly like that! This region remains covered in snow for half of the year (during winter). The other half (summer) transforms into a green paradise. In summer, lush trees, vines, and chirping birds fill the air, making it hard to believe that the same place once stood stark and leafless, buried in snow, patiently waiting for summer. Truly, it's a breathtaking sight.
Since my school days, I had read about the Alps Mountains in geography books. From then on, a quiet dream nestled in my heart—to one day witness the snow-covered Alps with my own eyes.
Well, thanks to an official program, I got the opportunity to travel to France. Taking advantage of that, I took a few extra days and planned a trip to Switzerland. After finishing my program, I explored a few places and finally boarded a night bus from Frankfurt, Germany, to the Swiss city of Lucerne. After about 9 hours of travel, I reached Lucerne at 9 in the morning—a city surrounded by lakes.
The temperature was just 4°C. After walking for about 4-5 minutes from the bus station, I reached the 3-star hotel I had booked online. On arriving at the gate of the foggy, deserted road, I found it locked. That was disappointing! Then I noticed a sign on the door:
"Temporarily closed due to inconvenience. Guests are requested to contact our partner hotel ‘Monopol’ located in the next alley.”
Ironically, just minutes ago I had walked past that hotel and thought to myself, “Wow, what if I could stay in a beautiful place like that…”
Anyway, I walked anxiously to the 5-star Monopol Hotel in the cold. As soon as I inquired at the reception, the smiling receptionist informed me that due to issues at their partner hotel, we had been shifted here without extra charges. What a pleasant surprise! A fantastic start to the morning, which instantly lifted both my spirits and mood.
The next day at 8:30 AM, a tour company’s bus would arrive at our hotel. We woke up early, got ready, had breakfast, and were about to sip on coffee when we looked outside and saw the bus waiting. That very bus, which had come from Zurich, set off towards the Top of Europe, the highest summit of the Alps.
Our tour package lasted 12 hours, from 8:30 AM to 8:30 PM. After exchanging pleasantries with tourists from different countries and our guide, I settled by the window. As we passed through the charming alleys of lake-surrounded Lucerne, the bus entered the Alps region. Snowy roads, rows of green trees, wooden cottages, smooth roads, mountain streams—all these magical views mesmerized the eyes.
After about an hour, we reached the Alpine town of Interlaken. The guide told us we had 30 minutes to explore. We rushed out to enjoy the stunning natural beauty. After being called back, the guide announced that we would now take a Cogwheel train to reach the summit, which would take about 2.5 hours.
Just hearing about the Cogwheel train made my body tingle with excitement! This unique train is mostly made of glass and has a chain mechanism underneath, locking it to the tracks so it doesn’t slip while ascending.
We boarded the train and sat by the window, getting lost in the surrounding views. At my wife’s call, I came to my senses and began capturing everything on camera. Along the way, we had to change trains twice at Grindelwald and Wengen. The higher we went, the more amazed we were. We saw remote mountain villages, partially or fully buried in snow, trees stripped of leaves standing still like statues, snow forming small artificial hills on their shoulders.
In some places, people were skiing across the snowy fields. Elsewhere, waterfalls were freezing mid-flow into icy sculptures. From afar, it looked like snow-covered ropes hanging from the cliffs. Under the sun, the snow shimmered in many hues—an unmatched sight.
The guide told us that this snow-covered landscape transforms into a lush green paradise in summer. Locals and their livestock—cows, goats, sheep, horses—stay in these houses even at this altitude, emerging when the snow melts.
Before we knew it, the 2.5-hour journey had ended. We had reached Jungfrau, the highest railway station in Europe. Taking an elevator 400 feet higher, we arrived at Jungfraujoch, the Top of Europe—at 11,372 feet above sea level, second only to the Himalayas.
Here stands the highest astronomical observatory in Switzerland – The Sphinx Observatory. Wherever I looked, it was white snowy peaks all around. Clouds floated above us, sometimes brushing past. Bright sun rays occasionally pierced through. Everything felt surreal, like a dream.
Again, I was brought back to reality by my wife’s call. After our photo session, we went into the Ice Palace, a museum inside the mountain featuring ice sculptures—penguins, dolphins, bears, and statues—all made entirely of ice and perfectly preserved for ages. I'd only seen such things on TV before!
Being at such a height, how could we not shop or eat? So, I bought my wife a famous Swiss watch, and for our kids, bags of chocolates. After soaking in the natural beauty, we had lunch and got ready to return to Lucerne.
On our way back, we enjoyed the scenic views once more. At one stop, we even got off, rolled around in the snow, and did a mini photoshoot.
As evening fell, the Alps revealed a new charm. Under the moonlight, the snowy peaks looked even more majestic. The return bus journey passed through small towns whose cottages and restaurants glowed in the warm light. The view of descending through the mountain in bus lights was unforgettable.
Finally, around 8:30 PM, we were dropped off near our hotel.
No doubt, this was one of the most memorable journeys of my life.
Thank you.
