Switzerland City: St. Gallen

The center of the eastern part of Switzerland and the capital of the same name Canton – the city of St. Gallen (Sankt Gallen, Saint-Gall, San Gallo) was founded in the VII century Irish monk Gallus (Gall) as a monastery in the valley of the River Shtaina. In the XV century, around this relatively hard-to-reach arrival (700 meters above sea level – one of the most highly mountainous in the northern part of the country) began to develop the city, received in the XVIII century the status of the imperial, and then turned into a separate republic, which had a lot of surrounding villages. The proximity to the Lake of the Lake and good defense in the form of two parallel ridges Rosenberg and Freudenberg contributed to the rapid development of St. Gallen, and by now it has become the economic capital of Northeastern Switzerland, one of the main cultural, tourist and transport centers of the country.

In the distinctive local relief, the roots of the most bright external sign of the city – hundreds, if not thousands of stairs and ramps crossing his quarters in all directions. Siens of the Appendsell Alps (part of the Swiss pre-founder) – Rosenberg in the north and froidenberg in the south form a very diverse landscape, in the winter there is a lot of snow and it is quite possible to ski – and it is only 20 kilometers from a pretty warm coast of the Lake Boden.

In St. Gallen, you should visit the double-headed cathedral (1755-1767.) – one of the most famous baroque complexes of Switzerland, as well as the UNESCO World Heritage List, the famous library of Abbey and the Palace of Bishop. Interestingly, in the southern altar of the Cathedral still hangs the bell, allegedly brought in the VII century from Ireland himself, the Holy Gall himself – one of the three oldest bells in Europe. Library of Abbey WWW.Stibi.CH is also considered one of the oldest in Europe and is known for its excellent baroque interior and a huge collection of rare and unique medieval books and manuscripts (the original is kept among others "Songs about Nibelungah"). The complex itself is open from Monday to Saturday from 9.00 to 18.00, on Sundays – from 12.15 to 17.30 (library work schedule is more complicated), free.

Nearby you can find the former Dominican Abbey of Saint Catharina (1228 g.), St. Lorentzkirche reform church (XV-XVII centuries.), Orthodox Greek Church of Saints Constantine and Elena with famous stained-glass windows with the image of the Judgment Day, Protestant Church of Linsebul (1897.), two picturesque old bridges – Eisenbrabruck and Cakerane-Starssenbrücke, the building of the oldest in Switzerland WEGELIN Bank (founded in 1741.), Towers of Troknetum-Shonenweden (1828 g., Used for drying fabrics), Lockremis and Wasserurm (part of the ancient defensive structures of the city), University of St. Gallen (HSG; founded in 1898.), luxurious building of the textile stock exchange (XIX in.) and public terms (the oldest in Switzerland – 1908.), as well as the Catholic Church of St. Maria-Neudorf (all – XIII-XVII centuries.).

Interestingly, since 2006, a number of opera and concert ideas are held for everyone who wants directly in the open area in front of the monastic cathedral (the most interesting usually comes on the last weekend of June). To the south of the monastery begins the funicular, leaving the Freudenberg Hills, where the extensive recreation area is located, from where it overlooks the city, Lake and vicinity.

A little east of the center is the famous cultural center with the city theater and the concert hall in the Art Nouveau style, as well as the park near the theater. Nearby are a historic museum (one of the oldest in Switzerland – founded in 1873-1877.) with a rich collection on the history and culture of the city and canton, the museum of the arts (painting and sculpture of the XIX-XX centuries.) and the museum of natural science.

In addition, in St. Gallen there is an art gallery of contemporary art, a textile museum (the original collection dedicated to the famous local textile industry), Lagerhouse Museum with a cantonal archive (rich collection of old documents and manuscripts), Lapidarium Abbey (church art VIII-XVII BB.), Point Jaune Filatelectual Museum, Excellent Aviation Museum, Blacksmith Museum, so-called "Museum in warehouse" (Swiss folk art and decorative and applied fishery) and even the museum of beer bottles on the territory of the oldest in Switzerland of the Schutzengarten brewery.

The popular city monuments also include the Catholic Church of St. Martin in the suburb of Bruggen (Bruggen), the urban exhibition hall Stadtlounge, the Synagogue (the only in the area around the Lake Constance Complex Drei Weieren (1893 g.) on the basis of three pools that have once used in the production of textiles. However, there is also "More civilized" Indoor pool, built in 1906 on the project of French engineer Francois Ennebik.

Interestingly, the city is very proud and its team FC ST. Gallen – the oldest football club Switzerland and the second in age in continental Europe (founded in 1879.).