The Abbey Library of St. Gall is among the oldest and most beautiful libraries in the world. Photo / St.Gallen-Bodensee Tourismus
Justine Tyerman has to be dragged away from the historic Abbey Library of St. Gall.
I stood in the centre of the library, rotating slowly and gazing upwards as I tried to take in the splendour of the magnificent rococo hall lined with thousands of precious ancient books and manuscripts.
The Abbey Library of St. Gall in St. Gallen, Switzerland, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1983, is among the oldest and most beautiful libraries in the world.
The ceiling frescoes depicting the first four ecumenical councils of the early Christian church - Nicaea (325), Constantinople (381), Ephesus (431) and Chalcedon (451) painted by Joseph Wannenmacher - are astonishing.
Built between 1758 and 1767 under the direction of master builder Peter Thumb, the hall has exquisite burnished woodwork and parquet floors that create an atmosphere of warmth and tranquillity.
The origins of the abbey date back to 612 when an Irish monk by the name of Gallus erected a hermitage on the site. Another monk named Othmar extended the building around 719 and was appointed the first abbot of the Abbey of St. Gall. He was canonised in 864. By the 9th century, the monastic community had acquired considerable religious, scholarly and economic influence and a significant collection of books.
The Abbey of St. Gall subsequently became one of the leading cultural centres of the Western world and the library now houses around 170,000 works including a collection of original early mediaeval documents. There are 2100 manuscripts of which 400 date from before the year 1000.
The priceless, sumptuously-calligraphed and illustrated manuscripts are on display in glass cases.
Among them is a manuscript of the 13th century Nibelungenlied, an epic poem written in high German. It tells the story of dragon-slayer Siegfried at the court of the Burgundians, how he was murdered, and of his wife Kriemhild's revenge.
I was intrigued by the 16th century globe which has a vast empty space at the bottom where Australia and New Zealand are missing, not yet discovered, and the 9th century plan of the monastery showing the hospital, gardens, school, stables, work area, living quarters and cemetery. Sheep and cattle were kept to provide skins for the parchment that books and manuscripts were written on. It took 200 sheep skins to provide enough parchment for an 800-word book so the animals were very much in demand.
It came as a surprise to find an Egyptian mummy and sarcophagus on display at the library. The well-preserved mummy is that of Schepenese, the daughter of an Egyptian priest who lived 2700 years ago. I felt strangely drawn to her and wanted to know about the life she led so long ago.
The library has a unique way of organising books into topics. To find books on a subject of interest, you look at the little plaster cherubs or "putti" above the shelves. Books on astronomy can be found below the statue of an astronomer with a telescope while a poet, physician, botanist, singer, painter, gardener, composer, merchant and geographer guide readers to the topic they represent.
Only books less than 100 years old can be borrowed and only librarians have access to the hallowed shelves on the upstairs balcony.
As we left the library - our guide Claudia had to drag me away - she drew our attention to the Greek inscription above the door. It read 'Pharmacy (or Sanatorium) for the Soul', and after an hour or so in this magnificent place, I certainly felt enriched.
The adjacent baroque Cathedral of St. Gallen was built in 1750. A famous St. Gallen landmark with its twin towers, the white interior of the cathedral is adorned with green stucco-work, rose marble altars and a gilded altar screen. Stunning ceiling frescoes depict biblical characters with cherubs and saints gazing into paradise.
St. Gallus and St. Othmar are buried beneath the apse in a crypt dating back to the 9th century.
A shell inlaid at the entrance indicates the cathedral is a step along the Camino de Santiago, the way of St James. The shell points the direction of the pilgrimage trail to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, north-western Spain where the apostle Saint James is said to rest.
We lunched at the nearby Restaurant Neubad, a traditional 'first floor pub' which serves hearty fare. It was a chilly autumn day and the cosy, softly-lit restaurant with its low roof and wood panelling had a lovely warm ambiance. I had a tasty bratwurst and salad, and a delightful Swiss pinot blanc from the Lando region.
Before our walking tour of the city of St. Gallen, we were fitted with Swiss-made Ky Boots which have a soft, supple, springy sole that cushions each step and combats fatigue.
The honeycomb structure of the sole creates an air cushion between the foot and the ground so that you literally feel as though you are walking on air. They were so comfortable, I did not want to give them back at the end of the day.
St. Gallen, Switzerland's eighth largest city with a population of 78,000 people, is on the shores of Lake Constance (Bodensee) in the north-eastern corner of the country bordering Germany, Austria and the Principality of Liechtenstein.
The city is renowned worldwide as a textile centre, long famous for its linen and embroidered fabrics. Until the 17th century, St. Gallen was mainly known for its high-quality linen and in the 19th century, the region became a leader in the export of embroidery. At the start of the 20th century, the embroidery industry accounted for over 50 percent of the world's production.
The First World War saw a dramatic drop in the demand for luxury goods which led to a severe economic crisis. While St. Gallen embroidery is no longer produced in the same quantity, nine embroidery businesses in eastern Switzerland now use modern machinery to create innovative, high quality materials for the world's leading fashion designers.
Famous labels like Pierre Cardin, Chanel, Christian Dior, Giorgio Armani, Hubert de Givenchy, Christian Lacroix, Nina Ricci, and Yves Saint Laurent work with lace from St. Gallen. Michelle Obama even appeared at her husband's US presidential inauguration in 2009 wearing St. Gallen embroidery. Few still use hand embroidery machines and demonstrations can be seen in various museums in eastern Switzerland.
St. Gallen is the headquarters of the high-fashion Akris label, established in 1922. The luxury clothing is worn by celebrities such as Michelle Obama, Adele, Madonna, Pippa Middleton and Amal Alamuddin-Clooney, wife of George Clooney.
The old town of St. Gallen is a charming, traffic-free zone where graceful burgher houses feature colourfully-painted oriel or bay windows dating from the 16th to 18th century. There are 111 ornately-decorated oriel windows in the old town, mostly on the facades of homes once owned by wealthy textile buyers.
A sharp contrast, is the super-modern Red Square in the Bleichi district, Switzerland's first 'public lounge'. Everything in the square, including sofas, chairs, tables, couches, a fountain and a Porsche with a parking ticket dated 2005, is covered in bright red rubber.
In the evening, lights that hang above the lounge like giant bubbles are illuminated in the colours of the rainbow. The novel, open air lounge was created by artist Pipilotti Rist and architect Carlos Martinez.
The city is also famous for the University of St Gallen which specialises in business, economics, law and international affairs.
During our time in St. Gallen, we stayed at the independently-owned, medical wellness-accredited Oberwaid Kurhotel and Privatklinik (private clinic). It's a sleek, modern, low-rise hotel with 140 light, airy spacious rooms and suites with huge balconies overlooking park-like gardens and Lake Constance.
The three-wing floor plan is designed in the form of the Cross of Tau, symbolising the three pillars of health – exercise, nutrition and motivation.
A combination of a normal hotel, medical centre and wellness retreat, it offers round-the-clock medical care with a nurse on duty at all times and alarms in the rooms.
The medical centre offers treatment in the areas of psychiatry, orthopaedics, physiotherapy, cardiology, internal medicine, rehabilitation, fatigue, burn-out, stress management, weight, circulation, diabetes, backache, sustainable health, prevention and coaching.
The spa and fitness facilities at the Tau Spa and Gym are outstanding with beautiful indoor and outdoor pools, a bio sauna, Hamam with steam rooms and therapeutic areas, outdoor whirlpool, massage, beauty therapy and treatment areas, a variety of quiet and relaxation zones, a spa garden and hairdresser.
The cuisine and presentation at the Oberwaid restaurant were also exceptional especially the roast scallops, smoked duck breast and passionfruit slice. We were served by food and beverage manager Valon Stuss who was amusing and highly entertaining.
Having visited a number of Swiss medical spa hotels and wellness regions, the Oberwaid Kurhotel and Privatklinik concept would appeal to guests who want the accoutrements of a city rather than an alpine or rural setting where many such establishments are located.
With its impressive UNESCO World Heritage sites, a picturesque old town, high-fashion boutiques, swimming and water sports at lovely Lake Constance and hiking and cycling in the surrounding region, St. Gallen is unique. But the highlight for me was the library. Memories of that breath-taking hall and its treasures will stay with me forever.
Justine Tyerman travelled courtesy of Switzerland Tourism and stayed at the Oberwaid Kurhotel and Privatklinik
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