Switzerland less known – St Gallen and Bad Ragaz

St Gallen and Bad Ragaz were the first Swiss towns we visited on our campervan trip. You can read about what to see in these often-overlooked cities and our initial campervan adventures in this post.

Our campervan trip in Switzerland included a drive through what is known as the “Swiss Camper”. Grand Tour, which is the most beautiful and spectacular route through the country. Unfortunately, as is often the case, plans have it that life verifies them and they have to be changed. In our case, after just one day of driving the camper, we already knew that we would not be able to do the whole route, and the main reasons were two: first, we were not aware that, however, driving a camper takes much more time than a passenger car (ok, we knew that more, but we did not assume that the trip would be extended that much), and second, our plans were thwarted by closed roads in Switzerland, due to snow. And this does not mean that Switzerland is impassable in winter, because it is passable, and where roads are closed, there are either detours or vehicles are loaded onto trains.

So we decided to go at our own pace, stopping where we happened to like, without any rush or additional stress. Anyway, this was the assumption from the very beginning, so the above two reasons did not spoil the whole trip for us.

During the entire trip we did not have any accommodation (camping) booked, we only looked for them when we reached a place that seemed interesting to spend the night. This, of course, has its pros and cons. On the one hand, we have flexibility, and on the other hand, we have to reckon with the fact that we won’t always find accommodation that meets our expectations.

We planned to spend the first night in the town of Sankt Gallen, located near Lake Constance on the border with Austria and Germany. Maybe not even as much as we wanted to spend the night in the village itself, but more in its green surroundings. We didn’t necessarily want to push into the city itself by camper, and in the end, however, we spent the night almost in the very center.

We found a parking lot where the camper could spend the night, right next to the stadium. When we arrived at the site, it turned out that there were only two parking spaces, on asphalt with electricity and water connections. Admittedly, it was far from our fantastic ideas of what beautiful campsites we would be staying at, but at least it was very cheap, which after a few hours in Switzerland begins to have a colossal impact :)

We reached the center of St Gallen on bicycles. Riding on the streets, even with a child in a car seat, we felt safe, there were mostly designated bike lanes, and drivers charmed us with their driving culture and giving us priority. We rode our bikes to the historic part of the city and continued exploring the city on foot.

Sankt Gallen

The most important site in St Gallen is the historic monastery that gave rise to the village here. If we are to be more accurate it was all started by a certain Irish monk – St. John the Baptist. Gall (or St. Gavel in Polish) choosing the area for himself as a hermitage, which a century later became a Benedictine monastery and abbey.

Today it is an important place on the city’s map, and the buildings are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Families and groups of friends come, spread picnic blankets on the grass in the monastery’s courtyard and spend time together. Concerts and other cultural events are held here. Tourists, on the other hand, focus on the buildings, including the St. Peter’s Cathedral. Gall and Otmar and the library, which is considered to have the most beautiful rococo interior in Switzerland and is also the oldest library in the country.

The church can be visited free of charge and we encourage you to enter, and the interior of the library was one of the few extra-fee attractions we decided to enter tempted by just such descriptions.

And honestly – we were disappointed. First of all, the size – photos give the impression that it seems much larger than in reality. Of course, the interiors are nice, and the collections are probably rich for a library, but after about 10 minutes we found that we had seen everything, and after 20 we were already leaving. Considering that entrance to the library alone costs CHF 12 (about PLN 45) per adult, it was not a worthwhile attraction for us. We definitely liked the National Library in Vienna better.

In practical information: inside you can’t take photos (we managed otherwise, and it’s still legal ;) ), and before going inside you need to put on specially prepared fabric slippers, and only in them can you enter the part with the collections.

What else is worth seeing in Sankt Gallen? We spent our time winding through the surrounding streets and looking at the buildings.

Noteworthy is the Roter Platz, or Red Square, which is…. all red. Everything is covered in a sort of red granules – the road, sidewalks, benches, fountains, and giant eggs are suspended overhead. One gets the impression that a giant bucket of red paint has been spilled here!

We didn’t expect to see such a form of modern art, but it was a good thing, because it was a good foretaste before the next destination we headed to, Bad Ragaz.

Bad Ragaz

This small town in the canton of Sankt Gallen is an ideal place to relax. There are no monuments here, so there is nothing to set your sights on. However, it’s worth setting your sights on tranquility and relaxation, as the resort is famous for its hot springs, spas and swimming pools. Of course, the area abounds with ski slopes, so it may not be so quiet in the winter season.

We stayed at the most expensive, yet best campsite we stayed at during the entire camper trip. In addition to all the basic facilities like clean bathrooms and a well-equipped kitchen, we were also able to use the pools across the road.

And swimming in the pool was no mean feat, as it overlooked the mountains! We were surrounded by beautiful, soaring mountain peaks. Such is the charm of Bad Ragaz, a village picturesquely located in a valley, and for these views it is worth staying here for a while.

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We made the most of the time we had here, went to the thermal pools located in the city and rode our bicycles around the city looking at the numerous installations, sculptures and other forms of art that are scattered around the village.

Summary

The two towns we described above are not the top attractions of Switzerland, but that’s the charm of RV travel – you can stop in places you hadn’t planned to go, and discover interesting places in the process.

It was a rather nice and peaceful foretaste of what awaited us next.

See also our entry: After Switzerland by camper – first impressions and Switzerland – what to see, TOP 5 most beautiful places.

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