St. Gallen, Educational capital in eastern Switzerland.
St. Gallen is a cantonal capital in eastern Switzerland, located between Lake Constance and the mountains of the Appenzell Alps. It sits at an elevation of 675 meters (2,215 feet) in a valley basin and combines Baroque architecture with modern urban districts.
The settlement formed in 720 around the hermitage of Saint Gall and grew into an important religious center during the Middle Ages. In the 19th century the city transformed through the textile industry and became a major trade hub in the region.
The Abbey Library holds 170,000 volumes and manuscripts, including rare documents from medieval times inside a Baroque ceremonial hall. Visitors wear felt slippers to protect the old wooden floors as they walk between shelves lined with centuries-old books.
The central railway station connects regularly to Zurich, Basel, and Geneva through direct train services throughout the day. The old town is easiest to explore on foot, as many lanes are narrow and the main sights lie close together.
The textile museum displays the regional embroidery tradition through 30,000 fabric samples from different manufacturing periods since 1863. Throughout the old town colorful oriels appear on many facades, giving the city an especially bright cityscape.
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