As a ski area, the Jungfrau Region lacks for nothing. The aforementioned spectacular mountains The Eiger, The Mönch and The Jungfrau reach to just about 4,000 m and provide a spectacular backdrop for some of the most extensive and varied skiing in Europe.The whole range is connected by the trains of the Jungfrau region which originate in Interlaken and terminate at the Jungfraujoch, almost 4,000 m higher. When visiting here for a ski holiday any of the featured resorts will do, as the railway system we spoke of runs from each of them.The Jungfrau region has three major ski areas acces-sible from its twin-valley towns. For many Americans, the Jungfraujoch is best known for the Eiger, a 13,026-foot peak made famous by Clint Eastwood’s movie, The Eiger Sanction, that came out in 1975. Although the movie is over 25 years old, the view hasn’t changed. The best-known resort is Grindelwald, a picture-postcard settlement nestled at the foot of 10,000-foot peaks about 30 minutes by train or car from Interlaken. Wengen is a car-free resort, reached only by cog railway from Lauterbrunnen, that shares many of Grindelwald’s ski areas.

And Mürren is another car-free town on the opposite side of the Lauterbrunnen Valley nestled beneath the Schilthorn.Skiing is more or less divided into three regions. Grindelwald has skiing at Grindelwald First (First, in this case, means peak), which in its day had Europe’s oldest operating chair lift. Ironically, this is also the location of the first chair lift in Switzerland.The second area (actually two well-connected areas), Kleine Scheidegg and Männlichen, is effectively shared between Grindelwald and Wengen lying just beneath the brooding Eiger. Kleine Scheidegg, the train junction with a hotel, restaurant and dormitory, serves as the hub of the this area.The third ski area, Mürren/Schilthorn, is across the Lauterbrunnen Valley and is also reached only by cog train or cable car. Mürren is a tiny village, as perfect as a movie set. In fact it was, for James Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.