If you visit St. Gallen, I would recommend the following spots. They give you a great mix of culture, nature, food, and local atmosphere. Most of them are easy to reach and show the city from its best side.
- Cathedral & Stiftsbibliothek (it is really stunning), especially if you love Harry Potter like I do. The ticket also includes two additional exhibition rooms, so if it is raining, it is a good option. If the sun is shining, I would not necessarily go there (unless you have a lot of time).
- 3 Weieren: You can take a small train (Mühleggbahn) and then walk about 10 minutes uphill. From there, you have a great view over the city and the Bodensee / Lake Constance. On the way back to the city, you can walk through the Mühlenenschlucht, which is very adventurous.
- EAT:
If you like burgers, I recommend Restaurant Stickerei.
If you want to try the famous St. Galler Bratwurst, I recommend Bratwurst & Bowls or Gemperli.
If you like a very original St. Gallen restaurant with Swiss cuisine, go to Wirtschaft zur alten Post. The food is very good, but it is also a bit expensive.
And of course, you have to buy chocolate here: Praliné Scherrer.
For dessert, I recommend G’nuss (pastry shop).
For lovely presents, you have to go to Nanna’s Bunte Küche. I really love this shop. - St. Laurenzen Church: You can go up the tower and enjoy the view over St. Gallen (9:30–11:30 & 14:00–16:00).
- If it is raining and you cannot go swimming at the 3 Weieren, visit the Einstein Wellness Bath. It is a lovely spa.
- In the evening, if you want to eat something very special, you can go to the Lokremise (Brasserie Lok) near the train station.
- There is also a lovely Wildpark Peter und Paul or the Botanical Garden (both are free, but a little bit outside the city).
- And if you like manga, there is a shop that sells special books called Comedia, especially comics.