Interlaken lies at the foot of the world-famous Jungfrau Mountain in the very heart of Switzerland between the Lakes of Thun and Brienz. As one of Europe’s oldest resorts, English and Russian royalty once came here, built their summer castles and stayed for “the season.” Some of the castles have disappeared, and some remain, but the feeling of the past, of gentler times and quieter days, is still very much a part of the town. For Interlaken isn’t a city, it is a town - a town where traffic moves leisurely through lovely streets and past unhurried strollers on the Höheweg, Interlaken’s version of the Champs-Elysees. The Höhematte, 700 yards long, is a pedestrian paradise of shops, hotels and sidewalk cafes, interrupted only by inviting gardens. For a comfortable excursion through this quaint town, take a horse-carriage ride.