8 Best Sights in St. Gallen, Eastern Switzerland
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Stiftsbibliothek
Although the abbey was largely destroyed in the Reformation and closed down altogether in 1805, its library, built between 1758 and 1767, still holds a collection of more than 170,000 books and manuscripts. To visit the library hall, one of Switzerland's treasures, you are given gray felt slippers to protect the magnificently inlaid wood flooring. The hall is a gorgeous explosion of gilt, frescoes, undulating balconies, and luminously burnished woodwork, mostly walnut and cherry. Its contents, including 1,200-year-old manuscripts, constitute one of the world's oldest and finest scholarly collections. Also on display, incongruously, is an Egyptian mummy dating from about 650 BC. Not to be missed is the giant globe representing the world in 1570, with grossly misproportioned continents. The original was stolen by Zürich about 300 years ago, and in 2009 this reproduction was given to St. Gallen in lieu of the original.
Altstadt
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Drei Weieren
Mühleggbahn
Just a few steps from the abbey, at the end of the Old Town, is the Mühleggbahn, a self-service funicular that runs up the hillside, offering lovely views of St. Gallen and the Bodensee. Once at the top, take two immediate right turns to the wooden stairs leading to a paved path with park benches. For a single ride only, choose the "Kurzstrecke" button when you buy your ticket.
Mülenenschlucht
A 30-minute walk up the steep Mülenenschlucht takes you past the mossy Steinach Gorge, where St. Gallus allegedly befriended a bear in 612. To commemorate St. Gallus's 1,400th birthday in 2012, the city installed a public art exhibit here that includes a self-opening time capsule embedded in a river rock (by German artist Maria Eichhorn) and a haunting neon sign atop the gorge's railroad viaduct (by Welsh artist Bethen Hews). There isn't much signage along the gorge, so pick up a helpful audio guide from the tourist office.