The Jungfraujoch is the lowest point on the mountain between Monch and jungfrau, at 3,471 meters. It is just above this location that the mountain station of Jungfraubahn is located. Jungfraujoch railway station is the highest in Europe, and the Jungfraujoch is often called the "Top of Europe" in tourist literature.
Adolf Guyer-Zeller first thought of the idea of a tunnel in 1893 and at that point he had planned to have seven stations inside the tunnel before reaching what is now the Sphinx. The building of the tunnel started on July 27, 1896 and took sixteen years to complete. The construction phase was troubled by many problems including monetary shortages, inclement weather, and mounting deaths due to construction accidents. The worst accident occurred in 1908, when thirty tons of dynamite accidentally exploded.
Once construction was halted, the tunnel reached only to the height of the Jungfraujoch, rather than the Sphinx, with only two intermediate stations. However, even in its current state, the Jungfraubahn is a significant achievement in engineering and construction, still holding the title for highest railway in Europe.
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