St. Gallen

By · Canton of St. Gallen, 🇨🇭 Sveits

St. Gallen is a city in eastern Switzerland, at about 670 m above sea level. Its centre is the abbey district, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The old town around it has painted oriel windows, small lanes and a long history of textile and embroidery trade.

The city is quiet and good for a short stop. Most visitors stay one day or one night. It is also a base for Lake Constance and the Appenzell hills.

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Beste reisetidspunkt

May to September is the best time for walks and day trips. Summer is mild, with some rain. Autumn is good for the hills and the large OLMA fair in October. Winter is cold, grey and often snowy, but the old town is atmospheric at Christmas. The city is quiet in early spring.

Velg en måned

Typisk vær i januar

Dårlig

2° (føles som -2°) · ekstremer -11°–8°
-4° om natten
14 regnværsdager
2 soldager
3 soltimer per dag
Tørr luft
Stille vind
UV-indeks 1 · lav

Typisk vær i februar

Dårlig

4° (føles som 0°) · ekstremer -13°–11°
-3° om natten
12 regnværsdager
5 soldager
4 soltimer per dag
Tørr luft
Stille vind
UV-indeks 1 · lav

Typisk vær i mars

Dårlig

8° (føles som 5°) · ekstremer -6°–16°
0° om natten
15 regnværsdager
10 soldager
6 soltimer per dag
Tørr luft
Stille vind
UV-indeks 3 · moderat

Typisk vær i april

Dårlig

13° (føles som 10°) · ekstremer -2°–20°
4° om natten
14 regnværsdager
10 soldager
7 soltimer per dag
Tørr luft
Stille vind
UV-indeks 4 · moderat

Typisk vær i mai

Brukbart

17° (føles som 15°) · ekstremer 3°–24°
8° om natten
19 regnværsdager
8 soldager
7 soltimer per dag
Tørr luft
Stille vind
UV-indeks 5 · moderat

Typisk vær i juni

Bra

21° (føles som 20°) · ekstremer 7°–27°
12° om natten
18 regnværsdager
10 soldager
8 soltimer per dag
Tørr luft
Stille vind
UV-indeks 6 · høy

Typisk vær i juli

Bra

22° · ekstremer 9°–28°
14° om natten
19 regnværsdager
11 soldager
8 soltimer per dag
Behagelig luftfuktighet
Stille vind
UV-indeks 6 · høy

Typisk vær i august

Bra

22° · ekstremer 9°–28°
14° om natten
17 regnværsdager
12 soldager
8 soltimer per dag
Behagelig luftfuktighet
Stille vind
UV-indeks 6 · høy

Typisk vær i september

Bra

18° (føles som 17°) · ekstremer 4°–24°
10° om natten
14 regnværsdager
10 soldager
6 soltimer per dag
Tørr luft
Stille vind
UV-indeks 4 · moderat

Typisk vær i oktober

Brukbart

14° (føles som 12°) · ekstremer 0°–21°
6° om natten
13 regnværsdager
6 soldager
4 soltimer per dag
Tørr luft
Stille vind
UV-indeks 2 · lav

Typisk vær i november

Dårlig

8° (føles som 4°) · ekstremer -6°–15°
1° om natten
14 regnværsdager
2 soldager
3 soltimer per dag
Tørr luft
Stille vind
UV-indeks 1 · lav

Typisk vær i desember

Dårlig

3° (føles som -1°) · ekstremer -11°–10°
-3° om natten
15 regnværsdager
1 soldag
2 soltimer per dag
Tørr luft
Stille vind
UV-indeks 1 · lav

Klimadata: NASA POWER (MERRA-2) · 1996–2025

Hovedseverdigheter

Abbey of Saint GallThe Abbey of Saint Gall is a dissolved abbey in a Catholic religious complex in the city of St. Gallen in Switzerland.

Abbey LibraryThe abbey library of Saint Gall is a significant medieval monastic library located in St. Gallen, Switzerland.

Abbey Cathedral of St. GallThe Stiftskirche St. Gallus und Otmar is a Roman Catholic church in the city of St. Gallen, Switzerland.

Wildpark Peter und Paul

Stiftsbezirk is the abbey district with the cathedral, the library and old monastery buildings. It is the main reason to visit.
Abbey Library is a Baroque hall with carved wooden floors and old manuscripts. It holds a famous early plan of an ideal monastery.
Stiftskirche is the Baroque cathedral with two towers and a richly decorated inside.
St. Laurenzen is the old city church beside the abbey.
Textilmuseum shows the history of St. Gallen embroidery and textiles.
Karlstor is a medieval city gate on the east side of the old town.
Broderbrunnen is an embroidery-themed fountain in the old town.

Utvalgte lister

Louis the German / Public domain

St. Gallen Essentials

St. Gallen is defined by its UNESCO World Heritage Abbey District, which houses a Baroque cathedral and one of the world’s oldest monastic libraries. The city’s medieval history is preserved through landmarks like the Karlstor, the only remaining gate of the original city walls, and the neo-Gothic St. Laurenzen church. On the surrounding hills, the Wildpark Peter und Paul provides a natural habitat for Alpine wildlife, while the Broderbrunnen stands as a monument to the city's 19th-century infrastructure.

7 steder

PaterMcFly / CC BY-SA 3.0

Museums & Art Centers

St. Gallen’s cultural offerings range from the UNESCO World Heritage Abbey Library, housing a vast collection of medieval manuscripts, to specialized institutions like the Naturmuseum. The city’s history and global connections are explored at the Historisches und Völkerkundemuseum, while contemporary art is represented at the Point Jaune Museum and Kesselhaus Josephsohn, the latter dedicated to Hans Josephsohn's sculptures. Unique local heritage is also preserved at the Bierflaschenmuseum, located within Switzerland's oldest brewery.

6 steder

Castles and Ruins

Explore the medieval fortifications and defensive architecture of the St. Gallen region. This collection includes Schlössli Haggen, a preserved late medieval manor, and several 'Burgstellen' or archaeological sites of former strongholds such as Rappenstein and Falkenstein. These sites, ranging from private estates like Burg Waldegg to accessible ruins overlooking the Sitter and Goldach rivers, illustrate the historical distribution of power and the strategic landscape of eastern Switzerland during the Middle Ages.

5 steder

Gmelfi / Public domain

Historic Churches of St. Gallen

St. Gallen's religious landscape is centered on the UNESCO-listed Abbey Cathedral, a masterpiece of Baroque architecture. This collection spans centuries of spiritual history, featuring the Neo-Gothic St. Laurenzen, the city's primary Reformed church, and the hilltop Capuchin monastery of Notkersegg. From historic pilgrimage sites like Heiligkreuz to 20th-century parish churches in the Winkeln and Straubenzell districts, these sites showcase the evolution of ecclesiastical design and the region's diverse denominational heritage.

7 steder

Parks and Nature

St. Gallen’s landscape is defined by the Drei Weieren, a series of artificial ponds created in the 17th century for the city's water supply and textile bleaching. Today, these sites feature Art Nouveau bathhouses and panoramic views stretching to Lake Constance. The selection also includes the historic Spisegg wooden bridge from 1779, large urban meadows like Kreuzbleiche—historically used for the linen industry—and specialized fitness tracks like the Finnenbahn.

10 steder

Opplevelser verdt å få med seg

Walk through the old town and look at the painted oriel windows.
See embroidery at Textilmuseum.
Visit Kunst Halle Sankt Gallen for modern art.
Walk up to the three ponds on the hill, where you can swim in summer.
Visit Wildpark Peter und Paul to see native animals such as ibex.
Take a train to Appenzell for cheese and hills.

Turer og aktiviteter

St. Gallen – Kart

Dagsturer

Appenzell is a small town in the hills with painted houses. It is about 30 minutes away by train.
Säntis is the highest peak of the Alpstein range. A cable car goes from Schwägalp.
Rorschach lies on Lake Constance and is about 20 minutes away by train. Boats run to Germany and Austria.
Lake Constance towns such as Konstanz in Germany and Bregenz in Austria are about 1 hour away by train.

Reise dit

By air: Zurich Airport is the main gateway. Trains reach St. Gallen in about 1 hour. St. Gallen-Altenrhein has a small airport with a few flights.
By train: direct trains run from Zurich, Basel and Bern. Check times on SBB.
The station is on the western edge of the old town, a 5-minute walk from the abbey.

Komme seg rundt

The old town is small and mostly car-free. You can walk everywhere in the centre.
City buses cover the rest of the city. Buy tickets at machines or in an app before you ride.

Kjøring

A car is not needed in the city. The old town is mostly pedestrian.
Parking garages are on the edge of the old town.
A car can help for Appenzell and the hills, but trains cover the main places.

Mat og drikke

Try St. Galler Bratwurst, a veal sausage that is eaten without mustard. Serve it with a Bürli bread roll. Appenzeller cheese is a strong local cheese. Biberli is a spiced cake from the area.

The OLMA fair each October is a large agricultural show with food stalls.

Frokost

BirchermüesliA raw-oat, fruit, and yogurt breakfast invented by a Zurich doctor around 1900, now standard on breakfast buffets.

Lunsj

RöstiA fried, shredded-potato cake, originally a Bernese farmer's breakfast, now a national side dish.

Middag

Cheese Fondue FondueMelted Gruyère and Vacherin cheese in a shared pot, eaten by dipping bread cubes on long forks.

RacletteCheese melted tableside or under a grill and scraped over boiled potatoes, pickles, and onions.

Zürcher GeschnetzeltesSliced veal and mushrooms in a creamy white-wine sauce, traditionally served with rösti.

ÄlplermagronenAlpine herder's macaroni gratin with potatoes, cheese, and cream, often topped with fried onions and served with apple sauce.

Småretter og gatemat

CervelatSwitzerland's best-known sausage, usually grilled and often called the country's unofficial national dish.

Søtsaker og desserter

Swiss Chocolate Schweizer SchokoladeSwitzerland pioneered milk chocolate in the 19th century; look for small-batch chocolatiers alongside the big national brands.

Basler LäckerliA dense, spiced honey-and-candied-fruit biscuit from Basel, traditional around Christmas.

Drikke

Swiss Wine Vin SuisseMostly consumed domestically rather than exported; Valais and Vaud, along Lake Geneva, produce the best-known Chasselas whites.

Sikkerhet og helse

St. Gallen is very safe.
Weather can change quickly in the hills. Check the forecast before trips.
Tap water is safe to drink.
Streets in the old town can be slippery in winter.

Historie

St. Gallen grew around a monastery, founded in 719 and named after the Irish monk Gallus. The abbey became one of the leading centres of learning in Europe in the Middle Ages.

The city was a trade centre, and its linen and later its embroidery were sold across Europe. The Stiftsbezirk survived as a place of learning and worship and was listed by UNESCO in 1983.