St. Gallen

Before entering the Baroque library hall you pull felt overshoes on over your own. They protect the inlaid wooden floor, and photographs are not allowed inside. UNESCO lists the entire abbey precinct as World Heritage.

A late Baroque church fronted by twin towers, its white walls and vaults spread with pale green stucco, which keeps the interior bright. It shares a courtyard with the abbey library, so one visit covers both. Sightseeing stops while Mass is being said.

Lace and pattern books from the years when export embroidery made the city's name. Local firms still supply embroidered fabric to Paris haute couture, so recent runway pieces sometimes hang beside the old samples. It pairs well with the library in a day.

Three ponds up the slope above the old town that turn into an old-style bathing spot with wooden changing huts in summer. The Muehleggbahn funicular gets you up from the old town in a few minutes. From the water's edge the city roofs lie spread below.

An outdoor living room in the banking district where pavement, benches, a fountain and even a car sculpture are covered in red rubber. The artist Pipilotti Rist made it with the architect Carlos Martinez. In the evening oval lamps hung in the air light up.

Merchants rich on embroidery and linen vied to hang carved wood and stone oriels on their facades; over a hundred survive. The carving sits above eye level, so look up from across the street. The tourist office gives out a map of where they are.

The highest peak of the Alpstein massif; a cable car rises from the Schwaegalp pass to just below the summit. On a clear day six countries are said to be in view. The top is windy and chilly even in summer, so bring a jacket.

A small village of painted house fronts, reached from St. Gallen by narrow-gauge train. On the last Sunday in April residents gather in the square and pass laws by a show of hands. Shops usually close on Sundays, so a weekday visit works better.

A wildlife park on the city's northern hill keeping Alpine ibex, deer and marmots. Bringing ibex back to the Swiss Alps, where they had died out, began with animals bred here. Entry costs nothing; a donation box stands in place of a ticket.

A Lake Constance town a short train ride away, where a wooden bathing house nearly a century old stands on stilts in the lake. German and Austrian shores show across the water. In summer you buy a ticket for the bathing house and jump straight into the lake.

Ride up from Wasserauen to Ebenalp by cable car, then hike down via the Wildkirchli hermit caves to the Aescher guesthouse tucked under a cliff. Roofed by overhanging rock, it became famous through photos. It is a narrow, steep trail; wear grippy shoes.

A mountain lake about an hour's climb by forest path from Wasserauen, the Alpstein peaks mirrored in it. A couple of inns on the shore serve lunch before the walk back. Some link it with the descent from Ebenalp to make a full day.

Eastern Switzerland's farm and dairy fair, held over ten-odd days in October, with cows and goats up close and produce to taste. The daily piglet race is the top draw. While it runs, sausage stands and bars in town stay crowded until late.

A cheese dairy in the village of Stein in Appenzell, where an upper gallery looks through glass onto big copper vats. Cheesemaking happens mostly in the morning, so arrive early to catch it. The shop downstairs offers tastings by age.