ASK a Swiss to describe Bern and you may hear a joke about how the people move so slowly that even their souls take centuries to reach heaven. While it is true that this city of about 130,000 people in western Switzerland must be counted among the most relaxed of Europe's capitals, Bern is also one of the most beautiful, a pocket-size Prague of arcades and whimsical fountains, all framed by leafy hills and the glacial-green currents of the Aare River. The urban and rural mingle closely here. Forests of ash and oak push up against a clutch of embassies off a city square. You can dance till dawn or rise early and take a walk under the gaze of the Alps and be back in time for lunch. Why rush through that?