The Swiss Alps are famous for being a winter wonderland, but there was plenty to do when I visited in the fall

• Switzerland's Alps are a famous skiing destination and snowy wonderland.
• I visited in autumn, though, and found plenty of activities in the warmer seasons.

Switzerland is a perfect winter destination, with the snowy Alps hosting some of the world's best skiing in cozy little towns.

But don't rule it out at a vacation destination for the fall.

I traveled through the Swiss Alps in early October, as the mountainsides were just starting to change color, and I thought autumn was a great time to visit.

I took a guided e-bike ride through the mountains

St. Moritz is a winter ski playground for the wealthy — but, in the fall, it's a sleepy hamlet surrounded by green slopes and valleys.

I took a leisurely electric bike ride from the middle of town, alongside a creek, through the pines and larches, up to the Morteratsch Glacier.

I'm no mountain biker, so I probably wouldn't have done this if it weren't for e-bikes and Luca Ricou, the helpful technical manager at St. Moritz Ski School.

At one point, we turned off the electric component of the bikes so that I could experience peddling without that boost.

It was really hard work. I'm not in bad shape, but I would have moved much, much slower on a regular bike.

Some ski schools are diversifying their business and offering guided biking and hiking in the winter, too, as the planet warms and less snow falls.

Gondolas offer unique views of the mountains

On a different day, in the town of Nendaz in the French-speaking region of the Swiss Alps, I paid 15 Swiss Francs (about $17) to ride a gondola up the mountain.

I got a view over the Alps that I could never in town or on the train. I could see glaciers in the distance.

There are a number of gondolas like this throughout Switzerland, and you can ride them most of the year for a small fee.

Skydiving and paragliding offer an even grander view

If I were really ambitious I probably could've gone skydiving or paragliding.

I saw a lot of people doing that as I looked out over the mountains.

Hiking was easy and beautiful — and I stopped at a restaurant in the middle

I stayed in the valley town of Sion for a few days.

There were hiking trails through the vineyards and hillsides there, but I wanted to take advantage of the mountain views, so I took a 30-minute bus ride up the mountain to the town of Nendaz.

From there, the gondola took me to the top of the ski slope, where there were a number of trails to choose from.

I could've trekked 14 miles over a mountain ridge, but I only had a few hours before sunset, so I chose an easy 7-mile stroll down the mountainside back to Nendaz.

The trail went through a few small villages and past one restaurant with stunning views. I stopped there for lunch.

I can't usually stop for a full meal like that on a hike in the US, even if it's a short and easy one.

Fall is game season, which meant deer and boar were on the menu

I don't know where I would get deer or boar at a restaurant in the US — certainly not in the middle of a hike — so I was happy to be in the Swiss Alps when these game meats were in season.

On a similar note, hunting also seems popular at this time of year in the Alps.

I encountered two hunters in the woods during my hike, each waiting quietly with a rifle.

Travel by train is great for any season

Whatever the weather outside, I would absolutely take the trains from town to town if I ever return to the Swiss Alps.

The Glacier Express, in particular, is a panoramic tourist train that climbs to a high mountain pass and chugs across scenic bridges. It was seven hours of stunning views.

The views were incredibly lush and green, a perk of visiting in the offseason.

My takeaway: Switzerland is probably lovely in any season

Switzerland was incredibly scenic and I loved visiting in the fall.

The weather was pleasant, the towns were adorable and weren't full of tourists, and I had a lot of options for exploring the mountains.

Plus, many of these "fall" activities I enjoyed may become common for winter as well as the season has begun starting later and more hiking and biking trails are becoming available year-round.

Overall, I'd recommend visiting the country in any season —and you could do a lot worse than going in the fall.