St. Gallen

St. Gallen is a Swisscity and the capital of the canton of St. Gallen. It evolved from the hermitage of Saint Gall, founded in the 7th century. Today, it is a small urban agglomeration (with around 167,000 inhabitants in 2019) and represents the center of eastern Switzerland. Its economy consists mainly of the service sector. The city is home to the University of St. Gallen, one of the top 10 business schools in Europe.

The main tourist attraction is the Abbey of Saint Gall, a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site. The Abbey's library contains books from the 9th century. The city has good transport links to the rest of the country and to neighbouring Germany and Austria. It also functions as the gate to the Appenzellerland.