From the bottom to the top: a postcard’s journey

08/05/2025

This season, UKAHT was part of a postcard’s extraordinary journey from Port Lockroy, the world’s southernmost post office, to Jungfraujoch, Europe's highest post office.

Once again, UKAHT is proud to have worked with Gerhard Freund. A keen philatelist from South Tyrol in northern Italy, Gerhard has a special interest in pushing the boundaries of global postal systems and connecting some of the world’s most unusual post offices.

In 2020, UKAHT worked with Gerhard to send a postcard from Port Lockroy to the International Space Station (ISS), the artificial satellite circling 408km (250 miles) above the Earth. The ISS has been permanently inhabited since 2000 and can receive mail, albeit occasionally. As such, it’s fair to say the ISS is the planet’s highest post office. The feat represented the first time letters had been sent from Antarctica to space and the first time that polar and space philately had been united on an envelope. 

Gerhard climbing in the Dolomites in northern Italy (Gerhard Freund)

A year later, Gerhard went even further and organised for another letter to be sent to the ISS, this time from the Himalayan mountain village of Hikkim in India. At an elevation of 4,440m (14,400ft), the tiny post office in Hikkim is the highest post office on Earth.

In 2023, we worked with Gerhard again to send a postcard from the world’s southernmost post office at Port Lockroy to the world’s northernmost post office at Ny-Ålesund, a small town in Svalbard, Norway, located well above the Arctic Circle. The journey from 64º49’S to 78°56′N took just over two months, and by the time the postcard arrived in Ny-Ålesund, it had travelled 16,698km (10,376 miles) from one end of the earth to the other.

Gerhard sent a postcard to the world's northernmost post office in Ny-Ålesund (Bodil Haugvik)

In 2024, we collaborated once again to send a postcard from Port Lockroy to Postojna Cave, home to the world’s only cave post office. As such, I was barely surprised when another email from Gerhard arrived in my inbox last autumn with yet another zany idea: to send a postcard from Port Lockroy to Jungfraujoch, Europe's highest post office.

Last season’s postcard at the world’s only cave post office! (Postojnska Jama, Archive)

Jungfraujoch

Jungfraujoch, AKA the ‘Top of Europe,’ is nestled in the heart of the Swiss Alps. Located at an elevation of 3,454m (11,332ft) above sea level, the site sits between the iconic peaks of the Jungfrau and the Mönch. 

Accessible via the Jungfrau Railway, which travels through a tunnel inside the Eiger and Mönch mountains, the ‘Top of Europe’ complex has breathtaking views of the surrounding alpine landscape, including the UNESCO-listed Aletsch Glacier – the longest glacier in Europe. 

Jungfraujoch and the Sphinx Observatory (© Jungfrau.ch)

Within the complex is the Jungfraujoch post office, Europe's highest post office, which first opened in 1912. Operated by Swiss Post, visitors can send postcards or letters stamped with a special Jungfraujoch postmark from the post office, which also boasts its own area code (3081).

It's a popular stop for tourists looking to send a memorable souvenir to loved ones from this extraordinary height. The facility is fully functional, offering standard postal services despite the extreme altitude and challenging weather conditions.

Visitors gather on a plateau below Jungfraujoch (© Jungfrau.ch)

Beyond its postal fame, Jungfraujoch is a hub for both scientific research and alpine tourism. The Sphinx Observatory, one of the highest observatories in the world, conducts important meteorological and astronomical studies. The entire complex is a marvel of engineering and logistics, showcasing Switzerland’s dedication to blending innovation with natural beauty. 

The journey 

The postcard began its journey at Port Lockroy on 14 December 2024, when the UKAHT team stamped the postcard with the base cachet. This printed design features the date, location (Goudier Island, Antarctica, 64°49'S 63°29'W), HSM no. 61 – referencing the Historic Site or Monument designation under the Antarctic Treaty, UKAHT web address, and, of course, the Port Lockroy penguin logo. They then wrote out a short message to their counterparts in the Jungfraujoch Post Office and all signed their names. 

“Greetings from the southernmost post office in the world to the highest post office in Europe. We hope this finds you well. All the best from the Port Lockroy team. George, Lou, Aoife, Maggie, Dale.”

The team's message (UKAHT/George Clarke)

The postcard was then placed inside an envelope featuring four British Antarctic Territory stamps that were hand-cancelled by applying the Port Lockroy postmark with the date 17 December 2024.

Soon after, the postcards were collected by a visiting cruise ship and transported from Port Lockroy to the Stanley Post Office on the Falkland Islands, a British Overseas Territory. There, the mail was hand-sorted by country before boarding the twice-weekly plane to RAF Brize Norton in the UK. The mail was forwarded via Royal Mail to Switzerland via Air Mail, where it entered the Swiss Post system.

The postcard about to begin its journey (UKAHT/George Clarke)

Fifty-two days after leaving Antarctica, the letter arrived at Europe’s highest post office on 7 February 2025! The postmaster there snapped some photos of the occasion before forwarding the photographs to Gerhard in neighbouring Italy. Gerhard received the envelope on 14 February 2025, completing another distinctive post office collaboration.

The postcard at the ‘Top of Europe’ (Kathrin Naegeli, Jungfraubahnen)

UKAHT would like to thank Gerhard Freund for his hard work in getting yet another remarkable project off the ground, the postmaster and staff at Jungfraujoch, and, of course, our outstanding team at Port Lockroy.

The envelope with its complete collection of stamps and postmarks (Credit: Gerhard Freund)