UNESCO World Cultural Heritage

Step back in time and discover St.Gallen’s treasures

The Abbey District of St.Gallen was once one of the most important intellectual centres in Western Europe. Even today, you can still feel the spirit of the Benedictine monks when you enter the Abbey District of St.Gallen. The exquisite architecture, including the baroque cathedral, and the impressive collection of original manuscripts make the Abbey Precincts a cultural treasure trove. The Abbey District was designated a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 1983 – a well-deserved accolade.

The landmark of the city of St.Gallen

St.Gallen Cathedral

This magnificent baroque cathedral, with its two prominent towers reaching 68 metres into the sky, has come to symbolise the city of St.Gallen. It was built in the mid-18th century and forms a unique historical site together with the Abbey District and the Abbey Library.

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The oldest library in Switzerland

The Abbey Library of St.Gallen

The Abbey Library of St.Gallen is the oldest library in Switzerland and one of the largest and oldest monastery libraries in the world. The rococo-style hall is considered one of the most beautiful in the country. The 170,000 books and 2,000 original documents from the Middle Ages bear witness to the development of European culture and include fundamental works of European intellectual history.

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Home of the famous St.Gallen Monastery Plan

Exhibition hall and vaulted cellar

The public can now view the famous 9th-century St.Gallen Monastery Plan in its original form for the first time. The parchment is the earliest representation of a monastery district from the Middle Ages. The items contained in the vaulted cellar include archaeological artefacts from the Carolingian St.Gallen cathedral, which was built around the year 830.

Explore the exhibition hall

Other attractions around the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site

Monastery wall

In the second half of the 16th century, a wall was built around the Catholic monastery to separate it from the reformed city. Today, only a small part of the original wall remains – along the Zeughausgasse.

Monastery garden

The monastery garden between the entrance to the Pfalzkeller and the government building is an inviting place. You’ll want to stay a while and take it all in.

Karlstor (Charles’ Gate)

In 1566, a wall was built, separating the monastery of St.Gallen from the city. The abbot therefore had a separate gate built for the monastery in 1570. This gate is still standing today.

Pearls of the Abbey District

These fascinating short videos showcase the stunning variety to be found in the «Pearls of the Abbey District». This place has been shaped not only by its historic buildings and exciting history but also its people.

Ready to discover this UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site?

Immerse yourself in the unique world that is the Abbey District and take a guided tour of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site.

St Gallen

Abbey Library of St.Gallen

The Abbey Library is one of the oldest and most beautiful libraries in the world. The St.Gallen monastery was in possession of an important collection of books as early as the 8th century.

St. Gallen

Exhibition Space of the Abbey Archives

The main attraction in a separate room is the famous St.Gallen monastery plan of the Abbey Library. It is regarded as the most important architectural drawing of the Middle Ages.