Abbey Cathedral – a UNESCO World Heritage Site

None of your participants are likely to overlook the Abbey Cathedral during their stay in St. Gallen. The entire Abbey Precinct was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1983.

Founded in the 8th century, the Benedictine abbey grew in significance over the centuries. Thanks to its fortifications, this Roman Catholic abbey was even able to withstand the advances of the Reformation. The diocesan church with associated library as we know it today was erected in the late Baroque era. Construction of the present-day cathedral including towers was finished in 1766, whereas completing the interior took another six years. The Abbey Library, Switzerland’s oldest library, also belongs to the Abbey Cathedral. It boasts an impressive collection of 170,000 volumes.