Eastern Switzerland
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Eastern Switzerland - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
Sort by:
8 Recommendations
{{numTotalPoiResults}} {{ (numTotalPoiResults===1)?'Recommendation':'Recommendations' }}
0 Recommendations
Loading...
-
1. Kathedrale
The cathedral is an impressive sight. Begun in 1755 and completed in 1766, it is the antithesis of the decadent Abbey Library nearby, although the nave and rotunda are the work of the same architect, Peter Thumb. The scale is outsized and the decor light, bright, and open, despite spectacular excesses of wedding-cake trim.
Klosterhof 6a, St. Gallen, Saint Gallen, 9000, Switzerland071-2273333 -
2. Stiftsbibliothek
Although the abbey was largely destroyed in the Reformation and closed down altogether in 1805, its library, built between 1758 and 1767, still holds a collection of more than 170,000 books and manuscripts. To visit the library hall, one of Switzerland's treasures, you are given gray felt slippers to protect the magnificently inlaid wood flooring. The hall is a gorgeous explosion of gilt, frescoes, undulating balconies, and luminously burnished woodwork, mostly walnut and cherry. Its contents, including 1,200-year-old manuscripts, constitute one of the world's oldest and finest scholarly collections. Also on display, incongruously, is an Egyptian mummy dating from about 650 BC. Not to be missed is the giant globe representing the world in 1570, with grossly misproportioned continents. The original was stolen by Zürich about 300 years ago, and in 2009 this reproduction was given to St. Gallen in lieu of the original.
Klosterhof 6d, St. Gallen, Saint Gallen, 9000, Switzerland071-2273416Sight Details
Rate Includes: SF18, Closed mid-Nov.–early Dec. -
3. Altstadt
The grounds of the abbey and the cathedral border the Altstadt, which demonstrates a healthy symbiosis between scrupulously preserved Renaissance and baroque architecture and a thriving modern shopping scene. The best examples of oriel windows, half-timbering, and frescoes can be seen along Gallusstrasse, Schmiedgasse, Marktgasse, and Spisergasse, all pedestrian streets.
Saint Gallen, 9000, Switzerland -
4. Drei Weieren
Atop Freudenberg Hill you'll find Drei Weieren, a relaxing park and swimming area with several refreshing ponds. Swimming is free at the largest pond and each is surrounded by grassy fields, lifeguard stations, and handsome striped changing cabins built in the 1920s. This lofty perch offers a fantastic lookout over the soaring steeples, tiled rooftops, and cow-grazed valleys below.
Bitzistr. 65, St. Gallen, Saint Gallen, 9011, SwitzerlandSight Details
Rate Includes: Swimming in the Mannenweiher is free. Admission is charged to the family pond, the Frauenweiher, Take Bus 2 or 8 to Mühlegg from the St. Gallen train station or take the Mühleggbahn -
5. Mühleggbahn
Just a few steps from the abbey, at the end of the Old Town, is the Mühleggbahn, a self-service funicular that runs up the hillside, offering lovely views of St. Gallen and the Bodensee. Once at the top, take two immediate right turns to the wooden stairs leading to a paved path with park benches. For a single ride only, choose the "Kurzstrecke" button when you buy your ticket.
Steinachstr. 42, St. Gallen, Saint Gallen, 9001, Switzerland071-2439511Sight Details
Rate Includes: SF3 -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
-
6. Mülenenschlucht
A 30-minute walk up the steep Mülenenschlucht takes you past the mossy Steinach Gorge, where St. Gallus allegedly befriended a bear in 612. To commemorate St. Gallus's 1,400th birthday in 2012, the city installed a public art exhibit here that includes a self-opening time capsule embedded in a river rock (by German artist Maria Eichhorn) and a haunting neon sign atop the gorge's railroad viaduct (by Welsh artist Bethen Hews). There isn't much signage along the gorge, so pick up a helpful audio guide from the tourist office.
Galluspl., St. Gallen, Saint Gallen, 9000, Switzerland -
7. Stadt Lounge
Native-born artist Pipilotti Rist's Stadt Lounge, created with artist Carlos Martinez, is a public artwork project that has bathed an entire chunk of the city center under a coat of red paint, creating what they call a "red-carpet effect." It has transformed the neighborhood into a sultry "public living room" and has been so successful, it has been enlarged.
Raiffeisenpl., St. Gallen, Saint Gallen, 9000, Switzerland -
8. Textilmuseum
St. Gallen's history as a textile capital dates from the Middle Ages, when convent workers wove linen toile of such exceptional quality that it was exported throughout Europe. The industry expanded into cotton and embroidery before collapsing in 1918. Today St. Gallen dominates the small luxury market for fine handmade textiles, and magnificently historic finery is on view at the Textilmuseum.
Vadianstr. 2, St. Gallen, Saint Gallen, Switzerland071-2280010Sight Details
Rate Includes: SF12
-
{{ (numCurrentPage-1)*numPageLimit+index+1 }}.
{{ item.neighborhood }} | {{ item.first_keyword }}{{ item.review }}
{{ item.address }}{{ item.phone[0] }}{{ item.details.title }} Details
{{ item.details.content.toString() }}View Tours and Activities -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
No sights Results
Please try a broader search, or expore these popular suggestions:
There are no results for {{ strDestName }} Sights in the searched map area with the above filters. Please try a different area on the map, or broaden your search with these popular suggestions:
