Interlaken

Interlaken is what its name promises — a town held between two lakes, Thun and Brienz, beneath the triple presence of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. The Victorians made it the drawing room of the Alps, and the town had the foresight to protect the Höhematte, the great lawn along the Höheweg, so the view of the Jungfrau could never be built out. It remains the gateway through which the world ascends to the Oberland's car-free heights — Wengen, Mürren, the glaciers above Grindelwald — while keeping its own parasol-era graciousness by the water. The elite come less for the town than for the position: every great spectacle of the Bernese Alps begins here.

From Zurich the drive is a study in Swiss efficiency: the A1 towards Bern, the A6 south to Spiez, then the A8 tracing the turquoise shore of Lake Thun into town — comfortably two hours. The Rolls-Royce Phantom makes the lakeside arrival an event in itself; families bound for the mountain villages travel best in the V-Class VIP, the chauffeur handing luggage to the rack railway at Lauterbrunnen or Grindelwald for the car-free final stage. Winter mornings begin with a fresh read of Jungfrau-region weather, chains aboard; arrival is coordinated with the hall porters of the Victoria-Jungfrau. From Geneva, the GoldenPass route via Montreux and Zweisimmen makes a panoramic alternative.

The Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa has presided over the Höheweg since 1865 and remains the only address that matters in town. Cross Lake Brienz by private boat to the Grand Hotel Giessbach, where the falls drop past the terrace; ride the Eiger Express from Grindelwald and stand on the Jungfraujoch, the highest railway station in Europe, before the midday crowds arrive. Take Harder Kulm at dusk, when both lakes hold the last light at once. September is the connoisseur's month — warm lakes, clear summits, the meadows newly quiet. Interlaken does not need to be hurried; it has been receiving the world for two centuries.