Life in St.Gallen
St.Gallen is a city with approx. 75,000 inhabitants in the eastern, German-speaking part of Switzerland, close to the Austrian and German border.
St.Gallen is situated between the Swiss Alps and Lake Constance, nestling in a picturesque landscape. The beginnings of the settlement date back to St Gallus. In 612, he established a hermitage by the River Steinach, which after his death evolved into a place of pilgrimage. In 719, the Alemannic monk Otmar founded a monastery in honour of the monk, Gallus, and named it St.Gallen. The Abbey District with the cathedral and the Abbey Library – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – can still be visited today.
International fashion metropolis
The city’s economic boom began during the Reformation with the textile industry. As industrialisation progressed, the first embroidery machines were developed in St.Gallen. At the beginning of the 20th century, St.Gallen experienced the high period of embroidery and became an international fashion metropolis. The founding of the University of St.Gallen in 1898 as a trade academy occurred during this time. In 1910, 50% of the world’s production of embroidered goods came from St.Gallen. Textiles for haute couture are still produced in St.Gallen and distributed throughout the world.
Traditional and modern
The narrow streets of the old town provide an excellent place to linger, with numerous shops, restaurants and cafes. The modern city of St.Gallen also has rich cultural offerings, with theatres, museums and concert halls. St.Gallen has an excellent infrastructure with good connections to the Swiss railway network and is located only an hour from the Zurich Airport.
St.Gallen is “young”
St.Gallen is very popular among young people and is among the cities with the youngest population in Switzerland. According to the 2011 Statistical Yearbook, St.Gallen, with 17.2% of its population in the 20-29-year age bracket, is even the frontrunner in this respect. With approx. 14%, bigger cities like Zurich and Basel are clearly lagging behind.