Have you ever been to St Gallen and Appenzell? If you happen to be in East Switzerland, these two places should definitely be in your list! This weekend itinerary is a great combination allowing you to discover Swiss cultural heritage while embarking on hiking adventures up in the alpine mountain pastures.
Abbey: A monastery occupied by monks or nuns. An outstanding example of a large Carolingian monastery, the Abbey of Saint Gall was formerly one of the most important cultural centres in Europe. Its interior exemplifies Baroque decor, characterised by magnificence, grandeur, richness and design in scale. And unlike other cathedrals which are usually dark and sombre inside, I very much preferred its lighter and brighter eau de nil colour scheme. Take some time to stroll around and admire the sprawling ceiling paintings, the wood carvings on the confessionals and the altar built of signed stones.
It takes you back to a time when artisans were artists and nothing was too much trouble when decorating a holy place. TIP: Hidden down in the south east corner of the abbey is a small courtyard garden with a circular fountain, which I think many people tend to miss out!
A quiet area to retreat from the crowds. Stepping foot into this library is a serious dream come true for a bookworm like me. With the sound of creaking wooden floors, the musty smell of old books, classic paintings all around and peaceful lighting…the Abbey Library of St Gal l brings you back into the time of the 7th century, and gives a possible inkling on how a Hogwarts library would look like in real life! This beautiful rocco library is one of the oldest in the world, and is a living record of 12 centuries of intellectual endeavour.
It also boasts a collection of , books, including original early medieval manuscripts of more than 1, years old! Other rare and fascinating objects we saw were the the big terrestrial and celestial globe and the 2, year old Egyptian mummy Shepenese. We saw some beautiful exhibits, from samples of machine-manufactured lace and embroidery to historic clothing worn by royalty, and an outstanding textile library that is on permanent display.
