Sankt Gallen: UNESCO World Heritage, Pond Trails and Nature

Other destinations: Waldkirch, Eggersriet, Abtwil, Gossau

Culture and history

Sankt Gallen is home to the St.Gallen Natural History Museum. For independent exploration of its exhibitions, it offers themed trails with solutions and subject-specific museum boxes. A guided discovery tour through the exhibition includes observing live wood ants, petting a badger and encounters with dinosaurs.

The St.Gallen Textile Museum houses one of Switzerland's most important textile collections. On display are historic embroideries, handmade lace, non-European textiles, historic fabrics and costumes from several centuries.

Around 612, the wandering monk Gallus laid the foundations for the Abbey of St.Gallen. In 1983, the Abbey District of St.Gallen, together with its library and abbey archives, was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. Today, the Abbey Library of St.Gallen contains 170,000 books.

An audio-guided cobblestone tour leads through Sankt Gallen.

Nature and ponds

The «Drei Weieren» area comprises the Mülenen Gorge, the Drei Weieren and Notkersegg, and is an important local recreational area for the people of St.Gallen. The Mülenen Gorge Trail begins in St.Gallen's old town and follows the Steinach through shady greenery.

The short and long circular trails around the Drei Weieren lead to viewpoints overlooking Sankt Gallen and Lake Constance. The Mühleggbahn takes visitors from Sankt Gallen to the «Drei Weieren». Swimming and mini-golf are available in the Drei Weieren recreational area.

Around 8,000 plant species from all over the world grow across approximately 2 hectares in the St.Gallen Botanical Garden. The garden is divided into around 20 sections, including geographical, educational, crop plant and collection sections. Visitors can attend regular events, exhibitions and guided tours focusing on the plant treasures.

Pond trails and activities in the city

The 21 ponds still existing in Sankt Gallen today can be explored along five pond trail routes. Pond Trail Route 2 connects Müleggweier, Drei Weieren, Wenigerweier, the former Rütiweier and Brandweier; the walking time is 2 hours and 45 minutes.

The St.Gallen Play Trail comprises 65 play areas spread throughout the city. It is a public, freely accessible and free outdoor leisure activity in the city of Sankt Gallen and its surroundings.

A tour lasting around 1.5 hours allows you to see all the sights of Sankt Gallen's old town without visiting museums. The different time indications help you compare the routes according to the time available. Organised hikes are offered in connection with Sankt Gallen.

When planning accommodation in Sankt Gallen, you can compare travel dates, room categories and cancellation policies for a hotel. These details represent a separate planning aspect alongside the city's cultural, natural and pond-related offerings and are independent of the respective types of visit.

For the overarching travel overview: St. Gallen constituency.