St. Gallen
Fly here
Abbey and Baroque library, both UNESCO listed.
From the basket
In a hollow in the east of the country, halfway between the Alpstein mountains and the great lake of the north, St. Gallen grew up around an abbey. From the balloon you first see its two Baroque towers among the roofs, then the old town winding around them.
The abbey church and its library are World Heritage. Few libraries in Europe are as old and as beautiful, with their panelling and their shelves full of medieval manuscripts. Very early on, families settled around the abbey, which became a village, then a town.
St. Gallen was also a capital of embroidery. Its lace and embroidered fabrics travelled all over the world, and a textile museum tells the story. On a clear day, from the heights, you can see the water of Lake Constance to the north and the peaks of the Säntis to the south.
Fly over the abbey and its towers, then let the wind carry you towards the hills around the town.
Sources: Wikipedia, “Saint-Gall” (in French).
All around
- Lake Constance, 10 km to the north-east
- Säntis, 2502 m, 20 km to the south
- Lake Zurich, 39 km to the south-west
To discover around St. Gallen
Broderbrunnen
This fountain, created by Toggenburg sculptor August Bösch and placed on the Lindenplatz in 1896, is a reminder of the times when the city was supplied with water from Lake Constance.
Erststockbeizli
The city of St.Gallen is known for its legendary “Erststockbeizli”, characteristic, traditional restaurants and wine taverns located on the first floors of the historic timber-framed houses of the old town.
House of Wine in the Rhine Valley
The St. Gallen Rhine Valley is one of the most beautiful hiking regions and holiday resorts in Switzerland. Its dreamlike valley location between Lake Constance, Sargans and Altenrhein attracts not only hikers and connoisseurs, but also wine lovers.
Old City
Just outside the abbey grounds lies St. Gall's Old City, which grew up around the abbey over the centuries and is marked by the flourishing textil industry as one can see looking at the loveley decorated houses with their oriels.
St. Laurenzen Kirche (St. Lawrence Church)
The tower of the St. Lawrence Church affords a beautiful view of the Old Town and the Abbey Precinct.
St.Galler Festspiele
Every year at the end of June, the monastery courtyard in the Abbey District is transformed into an opera setting.
Thurbo Seelinie (lake line)
The railway line between St. Gallen, Stein am Rhein and Schaffhausen runs along a unique lake and river landscape. Hop off and on wherever you like – “Thurbo” trains operate at half-hour intervals.
Source: Switzerland Tourism — myswitzerland.com, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.