In the centre of St Gallen, a city in north-eastern Switzerland between Lake Constance and the Appenzell hills, the twin towers of a baroque cathedral rise above a wide square, and beside them stands one of the oldest and most beautiful libraries in the world. The Abbey of St Gall was founded in the eighth century on the site where the Irish monk Gallus had settled in the early seventh century, and it became one of the great centres of learning in medieval Europe. The abbey precinct was listed by UNESCO in 1983.
The abbey library, the Stiftsbibliothek, is a baroque hall of carved wood, inlaid floors and painted ceilings, housing thousands of manuscripts and early printed books, some more than a thousand years old. Visitors must wear felt slippers to protect the floor, and the atmosphere is hushed and reverent. Among its treasures is the Plan of St Gall, a ninth-century drawing of an ideal monastery, the only surviving architectural plan of its kind from the early Middle Ages. The cathedral itself is a masterpiece of late baroque, with a bright, ornate interior of stucco and frescoes.
St Gallen is a lively city with a university and a long tradition of textile production, especially embroidery and lace, which made it rich in the nineteenth century. The old town has elegant houses with painted oriel windows, shops and cafés. Around the city, the landscape is green and hilly, with farms, forests and views of the Alpstein massif and its highest peak, the Säntis. The roads into the Appenzell hills are a joy to ride, winding through villages with painted wooden houses and meadows, and the climb to the Schwägalp at the foot of the Säntis is one of the classic rides of eastern Switzerland.
St Gallen has plenty of fuel, food and parking. Swiss traffic rules are strict, with speed cameras and high fines, and you need a vignette for motorways. Try the St Gallen bratwurst, made from veal and traditionally eaten without mustard, and the local Appenzeller cheese. In the city, the Stiftsbezirk is best visited on foot, so park nearby and walk in.