Picture Switzerland and you probably think of snowy peaks in winter or green meadows in summer. Few people think of October. Ask the Swiss, though, and many will tell you that autumn is their favourite season of all.

Between September and November, the summer crowds go home, the air turns crisp and clear, and the landscape glows in gold, copper and red. The colours start in the high valleys and slowly move down towards the lakes. If you follow them, the season seems to last twice as long.

Between Lausanne and Montreux, the Lavaux terraces turn amber above the lake. This is harvest time, the vendanges, and the villages come alive with open cellars and wine festivals. The marked paths between Lutry, Cully and Saint-Saphorin make one of the most beautiful walks in the region.

Above Leysin, the forests blaze yellow against the first snow on the peaks. In the villages, cows decorated with flowers and bells parade down from their summer pastures during the traditional désalpe. With cool temperatures and empty trails, autumn is also the perfect season for hiking.

Autumn is when Swiss cuisine is at its most comforting. Try warm roasted chestnuts from street stalls, a Valais brisolée, the game dishes of la chasse, or the first Vacherin Mont-d’Or of the year, baked whole in its wooden box.

At Swiss Education Academy, this is our backyard. Our campuses in Leysin, Montreux and Le Bouveret sit right in the middle of these landscapes. Every season reminds us why young people from around the world fall in love with Switzerland.

While the leaves turn, our team is already preparing next year’s adventures.