After many years, thanks to a visit from Ian, I finally did a revisit of the abbey and its marvellous library. As mentioned in previous reviews, it is really the library the pulls this site out of mediocracy. We headed straight for the library of course. The ticket also includes the library, a museum in the basement and an exhibition room in another building. Pictures are not allowed in any of these rooms, but you really only want them from the library.

Entering the library still requires to put on slippers and there is always a knowledgeable employee present who can give you some details about the construction. A secret attraction is the mummy “Schepenese” in the far right corner. There are currently efforts by a local artist to bring the mummy back to Egypt. So visit, while she is still around.

The museum is ok, but nothing extraordinary. There is some information about Gallus, an Irish monk after whom St Gall is named. The exhibition room houses the world’s oldest monastery archive. This is actually interesting. There are documents about common problems of the time, including the separation of land between St Gall and nearby Constance.

We finished the visit in the church, which looks clearly better from the inside than the outside, before continuing to nearby Reichenau Monastic Island.

St Gall is quite a nice town, especially the monastic quarter around the abbey. While there, you should eat the St. Galler Bratwurst (eaten only with bread, no mustard allowed).