CH · Canton of St Gallen · 47.42°N 9.37°E

st gallen

A richly decorated abbey library, carved bay windows and hilltop ponds above town.

Best time
May–September is best for the old town and the hills above it. December has Christmas lights and a market; January–February is cold and sometimes snowy, but the abbey makes a good indoor day.
How long
1–2 days
Getting there
Fly with one stop to Zurich, usually via Singapore, Dubai or Istanbul, about 15–17 hours all in. The train from Zurich airport takes about an hour. Switzerland is 6 hours behind KL in summer and 7 in winter.
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CH · Canton of St Gallenst gallen47.42°N 9.37°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,A richly decorated abbey library, carved bay windows and hilltop ponds above town.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingSt GallenCH, Canton of St Gallen
KLst gallen
≈ 9,925 km from KL, as the crow flies
St. Gallen and Lake Constance seen from Drei Weieren

Photo: albinfo · CC BY-SA 3.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

St Gallen grew up around an abbey founded more than 1,300 years ago, and its Baroque abbey library is one of the most beautiful rooms in Switzerland. The old town around it is full of carved and painted bay windows, and the hills start right above the streets.

Makan

  1. BiberliSmall almond-filled gingerbreads, sold in every bakery.Map ↗
  2. St Galler KlostertorteA cocoa-and-almond jam tart named after the abbey, a Swiss cousin of the Linzer torte.Map ↗
  3. St Galler BratwurstThe city's famous pale sausage, grilled and eaten with a bread roll and no mustard; it's veal and pork.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Abbey LibraryA Baroque hall of carved wood, painted ceilings and manuscripts over a thousand years old; you wear felt slippers over your shoes.Map ↗
  2. Abbey CathedralTwin towers outside, and inside a sweep of green and white stucco under painted ceilings.Map ↗
  3. Bay windowsMore than a hundred carved and painted oriel windows jut from the old merchant houses, so look up as you walk.Map ↗
  4. Drei WeierenThree old ponds on the hill above town, used for swimming in summer; the little Mühlegg funicular gets you most of the way.Map ↗

Good to know

  • The library and the cathedral have separate entrances, so allow time for both.
  • Turkish kebab shops in the town centre are the easiest halal option.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.