![SWITZERLAND - JANUARY 01: Library of the monastery St. Gallen, Switzerland. 2000 hand writings, 1635 incunable and almost 100.000 books. The library was built between 1758 and 1767 und richly decorated. (Photo by Imagno/Getty Images) [St. Gallen, Schweiz: Ehemaliges Benediktiner-Kloster. Stiftsbibliothek mit 2000 Handschriften, 1635 Wiegen- und Fruehdrucken (Inkunabeln) und schliesslich 100.000 Buechern, 1758-1767 erbaut und kunstvoll ausgestattet. Stift St. Gallen: 612 Zelle des hl. Gallus, eines Gefaehrten Columbans, 719 wird durch den hl. Otmar das Kloster errichtet, das 747 die Regel Benedikts annimmt, 1805 saekularisiert.]
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Abbeys, Architecture, Books, Interiors, Libraries, Photo tgg06/01](https://lp-cms-production.imgix.net/2023-06/StiftsbibliothekStGallen.jpeg?auto=format&fit=crop&ar=1:1&q=75&w=1200)
Northeastern Switzerland
If the greatest masterpieces on earth are wrought for the glory of God, St Gallen’s Stiftsbibliothek (Abbey Library), is like a living prayer. Religious…
Must-see attractions in Northeastern Switzerland
Northeastern Switzerland
Ensnared in wispy spray, the thunderous Rheinfall might not give Niagara much competition in height (23m), width (150m) or even flow of water (700 cu…
Northeastern Switzerland
Completed in 1103, Schaffhausen’s cathedral is a rare, largely intact specimen of the Romanesque style in Switzerland. It opens to a beautifully simple…
Northeastern Switzerland
Steps lead up through terraced vineyards to this fine specimen of a 16th-century fortress. The unusual circular battlements were built with forced labour…
Northeastern Switzerland
Often hailed as Switzerland’s most beautiful town square (no mean feat!), the elongated Rathausplatz often elicits little gasps of wonder because it's so…
Northeastern Switzerland
Schaffhausen is often nicknamed the Erkerstadt because of its 171 Erker (oriel bay windows), once a status symbol of rich merchants. Some of the most…
Northeastern Switzerland
St Gallen's twin-towered, mid-18th-century cathedral is only slightly less ornate than the world-famous Stiftsbibliothek library nearby. The cathedral…
Northeastern Switzerland
For a little Alpine fun, take the winding mountain road to Flumserberg, perched high above the lake and facing the impenetrable rock wall of the…
Northeastern Switzerland
Centred on the peak of Piz Sardona, this nature reserve has held Unesco World Natural Heritage status since 2008. A geologist's dream come true, it's one…
Northeastern Switzerland
Set against a backdrop of rolling hills that rise to rugged mountains, Appenzell's Altstadt is Grimm fairy-tale stuff. The carved gabled houses that grab…
Northeastern Switzerland
Located at 1350m, this stuck-in-time Walser-speaking hamlet is great for slipping off the map for a while, with its ludicrously picturesque cluster of…
Northeastern Switzerland
This series of three colossal waterfalls, thundering 585m from top to bottom, is fuelled by underground rivers running through the mountain rock from as…
Northeastern Switzerland
Looking proudly back on 1000 years of history, the medieval Schloss Laufen offers a close-quarters view of the Rheinfall cascade. You can buy a ticket at…
Northeastern Switzerland
Cheese-lovers won't want to miss out on a visit to this dairy, where an iPad tour gives you a behind-the-scenes look at the cheesemaking process,…
Northeastern Switzerland
This heritage museum gives the inside scoop on rural life and folk traditions in Appenzell. Occupying seven floors, it displays beautifully painted wooden…
Northeastern Switzerland
Jewel-coloured Alpine lakes, a fast-flowing river and a striking mountain backdrop make this valley worth a detour. It mixes high pastureland with dense…
Northeastern Switzerland
At the very heart of the Altstadt lies this square, flanked by ornate facades. The 16th-century Mohrenbrunnen marks the northern end of the old…
Northeastern Switzerland
St Gallen has long been an important hub of the Swiss textile industry, and this museum pays homage to that tradition. The collection brings together many…
Northeastern Switzerland
France’s Napoleon III grew up at this handsome, powder-puff-pink mansion with beautiful grounds on Lake Constance. The little chateau dates to the 16th…
Northeastern Switzerland
The wacky creation of Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1928–2000), who once called the straight line 'godless', this market hall bears his…
Northeastern Switzerland
Entered via the cathedral cloister, the Museum zu Allerheiligen showcases treasures from Schaffhausen fossils to Etruscan gold jewellery. The art…
Northeastern Switzerland
Looking back on almost 1000 years of history, Appenzell’s church is easily identified by its whopping great late-Gothic bell tower, embellished with a…
Northeastern Switzerland
This folklore museum, its collection spanning everything from pastoral paintings to embroidery, provides an insight into rural Appenzell life. From April…
Northeastern Switzerland
Blink and you’ll miss this village and that would be a shame! Founded in 1289, it is said to be the oldest settlement of timber houses in Switzerland. The…
Northeastern Switzerland
In a town as deeply traditional as Appenzell, this startlingly modern gallery, with its metallic facade and zigzag design, comes as quite a surprise…
Northeastern Switzerland
Shimmering a startling shade of turquoise, the fjord-like Gigerwaldsee reservoir is flanked by sheer-sided, wooded mountains and laced with waterfalls. A…
Northeastern Switzerland
St Gallen’s cathedral gets all the attention, but this Protestant neo-Gothic church is also beautiful, with its mosaic-tiled roof, delicate floral frescos…
Northeastern Switzerland
Quite astonishingly, part of historic St Gallen is covered by a rubberised red tennis-court coating, with in-situ outdoor-furniture-like chairs, sofas and…
Northeastern Switzerland
Pure local spring water goes into the refreshing Appenzeller Bier that's brewed here. The hands-on visitor centre whisks you through brewing history and…
Northeastern Switzerland
Appenzell's main pedestrian drag is a stunner, lined with lavishly muralled facades and shops selling everything from folk costumes to local cheese and…
Northeastern Switzerland
Housed in 16th-century Schloss Arbon, this museum races you through 5500 years of history, from the Stone Age to the 18th-century linen trade. Among the…
Northeastern Switzerland
This monastery museum sits between the Rathaus and the Rhine. A Benedictine monastery was built here in 1007, but what you see today, including the…
Northeastern Switzerland
Formed by glacial moraine, this vivid blue lake is reached via a beautiful mountain trail from Braunwald. The moderate, 3½-hour walk leads through meadows…
Northeastern Switzerland
The 16th-century Mohrenbrunnen (Moor's Fountain) marks the north end of the old marketplace. The polychrome statue shows the Moorish king Caspar, one of…
Northeastern Switzerland
Marking the southern end of Fronwagplatz, the 16th-century Butcher's Fountain depicts a gallant-looking soldier bearing a sword and a shield emblazoned…
Northeastern Switzerland
Friedrichshafen will forever be associated with the Zeppelin, the cigar-shaped craft that made its inaugural flight in 1900. The Zeppelin Museum traces…
Northeastern Switzerland
A glacier spills down the eastern flank of mighty Piz Sardona (3056m), close to the tri-border between the cantons of Glarus, St Gallen and Graubünden…
Northeastern Switzerland
Framed by pastel-coloured houses with steep tiled roofs, this is one of Schaffhausen’s prettiest squares. In August it’s an atmospheric backdrop for music…
Northeastern Switzerland
Appenzell's main square is rimmed with elaborately painted hotels and restaurants. It's a striking backdrop for April's Landsgemeinde cantonal assembly.
Northeastern Switzerland
The frescos of 16th-century Zum Grossen Käfig present an extraordinarily colourful tale of the parading of Turkish sultan Bajazet in a cage by the…
