Abbey Library of St.Gallen

The present library room was built between 1758 and 1767 under the direction of the Peter Thumb, an Austrian architect from Bregenzerwald. Changing exhibitions of the valuable manuscripts and unique documents stored in the library archives leave a lasting impression of the spiritual and cultural life of St.Gallen's abbey. The Baroque hall of the Abbey Library is impressive with its lavish Rococo decorations and is considered one of the most beautiful in the country. The library, which still lends books today, boasts a collection of around 170,000 books. The impressive collection of original early medieval manuscripts has made this institution world-famous. Over 400 volumes are more than 1,000 years old.