Intro

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

General information

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Season
All year
Time required
2 to 4 hours (half day)
Suitable for children with age
10 to 13 years, 14+ years
Suitable for
Groups, Individual, Couples
Weather
Indoor
Category
Culture, Education, Urban

Group & pricing information

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Language
German, English, French, Italian
Group Size
1 - 25

Booking Information

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Additional information

Experiences in the World Heritage

Attractive offers associated with Switzerland’s natural and cultural treasures.
13 places are on the roster of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. Convince yourself of the uniqueness of these places by visiting them.
More information about the offer:
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Contact

UNESCO World Heritage in Switzerland
Switzerland

Phone  +41 (0)31 544 31 15
ourheritage.ch
Show Route

Stiftsbezirk St. Gallen
Klosterhof 6d
9000  St. Gallen
Switzerland

Phone  +41 (0)71 227 34 16
info@stiftsbezirk-sg.ch
stiftsbezirk.ch

Overview

Crowd prediction

Contact

UNESCO World Heritage in Switzerland
Phone  +41 (0)31 544 31 15
ourheritage.ch
Show Route

Contact

Stiftsbezirk St. Gallen
Klosterhof 6d
9000 St. Gallen
Phone  +41 (0)71 227 34 16
stiftsbezirk.ch

Book online

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Travel information: St. Gallen

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