Getting to Know St. Gallen, Switzerland- A Tour of St. Gallen’s Old Town

St. Gallen, a city in northeastern Switzerland, was a place I didn’t know much about until I arrived.

What I discovered was an elegant city with a long and interesting history, growing from a small hermitage into an influential urban centre.

With only one evening and a morning to explore, I decided to join a walking tour of St. Gallen to maximize my time and make sure I visited all the best places to see in St. Gallen. My sightseeing tour of St. Gallen focused on the Old Town and St. Gallen Abbey Precinct, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983.

Before I share highlights from my tour of St. Gallen’s Old Town, here’s a brief history of the city.

Getting to Know St. Gallen- A Brief History

The history of St. Gallen dates back to 612 when Gallus, an Irish missionary monk, established a hermitage here. After his death, priest Otmar (Saint Othmar) founded an abbey on the same site in 719. As the monastic community grew, an adjoining settlement was established that would later evolve into the city of St. Gallen.

St. Gallen continued to grow thanks to a thriving textile industry that specialized in linen, embroideries and lace. Today, St. Gallen is a compact urban area and cultural, educational, and economic centre of eastern Switzerland.

Things to See and Do in St. Gallen- Tour of St. Gallen’s Old Town

Since the Old Town of St. Gallen is compact and easily walkable, you can see all the main attractions in just half a day. Here are my recommendations for things to see and do in St. Gallen’s Old Town!

Abbey of St. Gall

The Abbey of St. Gall has stood in the heart of St. Gallen’s Old Town for over 1200 years. This Carolingian era, Benedictine monastery was one of Europe’s most important spiritual and intellectual centres from the 8^th century to 1805 (when it was secularized) and is still attracting admirers today.

The St. Gallen Abbey precinct is a large ensemble of buildings reflecting numerous architectural periods. Its main features are the Baroque cathedral and Abbey Library, both which are top attractions in St. Gallen.

St. Gallen Cathedral (Abbey Cathedral of St. Gall)

The St. Gallen Cathedral is not only a symbol of the city, but it’s one of the last great churches of the Baroque era.

What I liked best about the inside of St. Gallen Cathedral was how open and bright it was, with a pastel colour scheme I hadn’t seen in a church before.

Tall white pillars were embellished with lacy-looking decorations and golden sculpted angels, highlighted by natural light shining through the large side windows. I thought the delicate, lace-like appearance of the ornaments was a nice incorporation of St. Gallen’s textile industry, as the city is known for its embroidery.

In contrast to the colourful, frilly adornments, the ceiling was covered in dark paintings of religious scenes. It added the dramatic intensity one expects from a Baroque style church.

Abbey Library of St. Gall

The Abbey Library of St. Gall is known for being one of the oldest, most important, and beautiful libraries in the world.

Since its founding in 719, the library has amassed about 170,000 works including handwritten manuscripts, early prints, and books that date back to the 8^th century. Some notable pieces in the collection are illuminated manuscripts by Irish and St. Gall monks, and the Plan of St. Gall (830 AD), an architectural drawing of the monastery believed to be the only remaining major architectural plan from that time. The collection also includes works on literary and musical history, the Old High German language, and the history of medicine and law.

Unfortunately, I can’t show you just how pretty the library’s Rococo hall was because pictures weren’t allowed. It felt warm and inviting with exquisite woodwork, stucco moldings, and ceiling frescoes. I was especially fond of the large globe and was surprised to see a 2,700 year old Egyptian mummy on display.

The library also features special exhibitions of historic works displayed in glass cases. During my visit I got to see some ancient texts from Ireland.

Gallusplatz

My favourite part of St. Gallen’s Old Town was Gallusplatz and vicinity. This picturesque square features a fountain with a statue of Gallus (St. Gall), the patron saint of the city.

Surrounding the square and along Gallusstrasse are brightly painted timber-framed homes from the 16^th century. This type of architecture always captivates me, making me feel like I was dropped into a whimsical fairy tale!

Oriel Windows 

At the start of my two week trip to Switzerland, I fell in love with the bay windows in Schaffhausen, so was happy to discover that St. Gallen also has many beautiful oriel windows decorating the buildings.

There are 111 oriel windows in St. Gallen’s Old Town, each one a work of art. Intricately carved and lavishly decorated, these windows were a sign of worldliness and wealth, adorning burgher houses in the 17^th and 18^th centuries.

St. Gallen’s oriel windows often tell a story, representing legends and mythical figures, historic events, and tales of riches. My favourite windows were travel and geography themed (of course), depicting adventures to exotic lands and beliefs about the continents.

Some of St. Gallen’s most magnificent oriel windows can be found on Spisergasse and Kugelgasse, so be sure to visit these alleys during your walking tour of St. Gallen’s Old Town.

Dinner at Gaststuben zum Schlössli

A wonderful way to end a trip to St. Gallen is with dinner in the Schlössli, a 16^th century small castle.

Gourmet meals made from regional ingredients can be enjoyed in different rooms in the mansion, combining history and cuisine with a lovely ambiance. The house specialty is blue potato soup, made from the blue St. Gallen potato. I almost let the unique, purple hue turn me off of trying it, but it was very delicious!

Final Thoughts About My Visit to St. Gallen

I’m not much of a city person, but historic districts always charm me and St. Gallen’s Old Town was no different.

I loved the half-timbered buildings and the burgher houses with their oriels. Between the elevated oriel windows, soaring towers of St. Gallen Cathedral, and other decorative touches, much of my sightseeing in St. Gallen was spent looking up!

Although my trip to St. Gallen was brief, the guided walking tour of St. Gallen’s Old Town showed me all the main sights, giving me a great introduction to city’s history, culture, and traditions.

I was hosted by Switzerland Tourism in order to bring you this story. As always, I speak only the truth and hosts have no editorial influence on articles.

More Switzerland Destinations and Travel Guides

• Things to Do in Thun- Gateway to the Bernese Oberland
• 7 Wonderful Things to Do in Schaffhausen
• What to Expect on Your First Trip to Switzerland- A First Time Visitor’s Guide
• Swiss Travel Pass Guide- How to Buy and Use the Swiss Travel Pass