The imposing mountains of the Bernese Alps are navigated by a network of trails, passes and railways.
Though they are far from inaccessible, travelling through the Bernese Alps can be treacherous, with icy conditions rendering steep mountain passes dangerous.
One of the largest mountain passes is Kleine Scheidegg, which at 2,061m is also one of the highest in the Alps.
Nestled between the peaks of the Eiger and Lauberhorn, it links the villages of Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen, connecting trails and the transalpine railway.
For centuries, trails and passes connecting villages were the only way through the mountains, until railways were built.
The construction of railways completely opened up the area to visitors and travellers throughout the Bernese Alps.
Perhaps the region’s most famous railway line is the Jungfraubahn which attracts hundreds of passengers daily to experience a unique piece of railway engineering.
The line runs nine kilometres between Kleine Scheidegg and Jungfraujoch, which at 3,454m is the highest railway station in Europe.
Construction began on the Jungfraubahn in 1896, and it began taking passengers up the mountains in 1912.
Pioneering railway engineers designed a tunnel that carried a train through the mountains, running behind the sheer north face of the Eiger.
Passing through the Mönch, the tunnel emerges at the ‘Top of Europe’, in the saddle between the Mönch and the Jungfrau.
As well as providing locals with an easy way to get around, the railway boosted the tourism industry in the Bernese Alps.
Transporting visitors between the beautiful alpine villages and ski resorts, the Jungfraubahn is an attraction in itself.
Passengers travelling through the mountain tunnel can enjoy spectacular views of the surrounding landscape through panoramic windows in the side of the Eiger.