St. Gallen Old Town & Oriel Windows
Altstadt St. Gallen
The car-free old town preserves more than a hundred painted wooden oriel windows, a symbol of the mansions of wealthy merchants during the heyday of the textile trade.
The old town sits right next to the Abbey Quarter, and its best parts are around Gallusplatz, Spisergasse and Marktgasse. Merchants who grew rich from linen and embroidery trade between the 16th and 18th centuries added oriel windows (Erker) to their mansion facades, displaying their wealth through painted wood and stone carvings. About a hundred of these survive citywide, and the carvings on the House of the Pelicans and the House of the Camels are especially fine. The tourist office offers a walking route focused on the oriel windows, which can be combined with the Cathedral, Kirche St. Laurenzen and the market square. The full walk takes about 1–2 hours. In December, the old town's streets are hung with star-shaped lights, making it one of Switzerland's most celebrated Christmas towns.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Abbey Library of St. Gall
- St. Gallen Cathedral
- St. Laurenzen Church
- Textile Museum St. Gallen
- Stadtlounge
- Kunstmuseum St. Gallen
- Drei Weieren & Mühleggbahn
- Wildpark Peter und Paul