Destination
Abbey of St. Gall

A barrier-free day in the Abbey of St.Gall

A barrier free day programme awaits you to experience the UNESCO World Heritage Site in St.Gall. The following suggestion is based on an experience report by EnableMe, which was created together with St.Gallen-Bodensee Tourismus.

Suggested programme for discovering the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Abbey of St.Gall" in one day

In the morning

Visit to the abbey district

The abbey district consists of 3 different exhibition rooms (abbey library, vaulted cellar and exhibition hall) and the cathedral, which can be visited. You can start your visit in the Abbey Library (the vaulted cellar is also located in the same building). The entrance door is normally open in summer. If it is locked and no one is around, you can call +41 71 227 34 16 for help. The ticket office and the Abbey Library are located on the first floor and can be reached via a lift. Once you have purchased your ticket at the ticket office, you will be asked to lock up your backpack. There is also an accessible toilet on the floor. Your ticket will be checked and the staff at the Abbey Library will set up a small ramp to get you through the entrance to the library.

Tips for a snack

If you are hungry, we recommend the Klosterbistro directly opposite the Abbey Library or the DenkBar, which serves snacks and cool drinks. The latter also has a barrier-free toilet.

The vaulted cellar can be reached via the lift. Various exhibits, such as the Evangelium Longum, are on display there and a film is shown on how Gallus found his way from Ireland to Lake Constance and today's St.Gallen. To reach the third exhibition room (this is the exhibition room in the Abbey Archives in Klosterhof 1), you leave the building and walk over cobblestones through the monastery courtyard (approx. 5-8 minutes away). The entrance door opens automatically and the entrance to the exhibition hall is also relatively wide, so there is plenty of room for wheelchairs. There is also an accessible WC in the building. You can leave your backpack at reception (as the lockers are in the basement and there is no lift). It is relatively dark in the exhibition hall. The monastery map is shown for a few seconds every 15 minutes in a separate room as it is very sensitive to light. The exhibition is quite interactive, for example you can turn a table and move various levers. It can be difficult for wheelchair users to do this on their own.

After many exciting insights, it's time to take in the abbey district from the outside. If the weather is fine, it's also worth visiting the monastery garden, which was newly created in 2023. This can be reached via the passageway at the State Chancellery (Klosterhof 3), although it also has cobblestones. The cathedral can also be visited free of charge. The west entrance is located on Gallusplatz (not far from the Tourist Information St.Gallen) and is accessible for wheelchair users. However, assistance is required to open the inner door.

We recommend borrowing an audio guide from the Abbey Library, the Exhibition Hall or the St.Gallen Tourist Information Centre to get to know the Abbey District and the Old Town better.

In the afternoon

Visit to the Drei Weieren

A visit to the Drei Weieren recreation area is well worthwhile in the afternoon. From the west entrance of the cathedral, it is about 5 minutes to the valley station of the Mühlegg cable car. The cable car runs automatically and can be called at the touch of a button. It takes just a few minutes to reach the mountain station. From there, walk a little uphill and then turn left into Bitzistrasse. You are now above the Drei Weieren. Behind the first Weier (Mannenweier), a path leads past the Drei Weieren and offers a phenomenal view over the city of St.Gallen and Lake Constance. If you follow this path further to the right (towards Restaurant Dreilinden), you will also reach the bus stop for the Bäderbus, which runs every half hour in the summer months (weather permitting) and takes guests to the market square or St.Gallen railway station free of charge.