In St. Gallen you'll find history at every turn. The city's landmark is the Convent of St. Gall with its Baroque cathedral. The convent, including the library and monastery archives, was added to the Unesco World Heritage List in 1983.
Even today, the spirit of the once active Benedictine monks is palpable when you enter the world famous Abbey Library, which also is called the Seelenapotheke (healing place of the soul).
The abbey precinct with its magnificent Baroque cathedral forms a unique historical ensemble. The Abbey Library - with Switzerland's most beautiful non-ecclesiastical Baroque hall - now contains 170,000 books. 50,000 of these are housed in the Baroque hall, where the 2,700 year old Egyptian mummy Shepenese is also to be found. The heart of the Abbey Library collection consists of 2,100 manuscripts of which some are on display at each of the current exhibitions. The entire abbey was declared a Unesco World Heritage site in 1983.
One striking feature of the old city is its many 16th to 18th century burgher houses with their splendid and often brightly painted bay windows. The city boasts a varied gastronomy with venues ranging from the traditional first-floor restaurants to the welcoming street cafes. Here you'll be tempted to linger and enjoy local and international specialities. The town is also an ideal starting point for hikes within the Appenzell and St. Gallen region.
Public tour
Meet at the Tourist Information, Bankgasse 9, St.Gallen
Information
Open:
all year around,
abbey library closed for 3 weeks Nov/Dec
