Neighborhoods with character
Every neighborhood in St. Gallen has its own unique character. Discover diverse residential areas, lively neighborhoods, and places where you can feel right at home.
Old Town Northwest
The city’s smallest neighborhood association boasts an impressive concentration of diverse, well-established shops, medical offices, bars, and restaurants in its narrow streets. A high quality of life, blended with a touch of the countryside, fills the soul as you stroll through this area.
Bruges
“ÜSERS DORF BROGGE-HOGGE” isn’t just the name of the neighborhood newsletter. Bruggen has retained its village character, whether in the village center or in Engelwies, Boppartshof, Hinterberg, or Moos. Thanks to the Sittergraben, the sun shines here more often than in other parts of the city because the fog clears more quickly. Bruggen offers a high quality of life and an urban environment. The neighborhood stands out for its good schools, attractive residential areas, innovative companies, and excellent transportation links to the center of St. Gallen. You can find more information about the neighborhood here.
Dietli-Hölzli-Schoren
At the heart of the neighborhood is the housing development built by the St. Gallen Railway Workers’ Building Cooperative, which gives the entire neighborhood a distinctive charm. However, there are also modern residential developments. The neighborhood has the highest number of children and teenagers compared to the other neighborhoods in the city of St. Gallen. It’s just a few minutes’ walk to the Hätterenwald. A longer walk takes you all the way to the Sitter River. The train station and downtown are also not far away.
Gallusplatz
The southern part of St. Gallen’s Old Town is home to many shops, offices, and narrow streets. But this isn’t just a place to work—it’s a place to live. The residents of the southern Old Town are people of all ages who appreciate the benefits of downtown life. The Gallusplatz Neighborhood Association has made it its mission to connect these people and ensure that, above all, they find one thing here: quality of life. You can find more information here.
Laughter
The sunny Lachen neighborhood stretches from Stahl to Lerchenfeld. Residents enjoy numerous recreational areas, playgrounds, and a wide variety of shopping options, as well as restaurants and bars. The excellent public transportation connections are also a major plus. For children and teens, there are schools with after-school care, the children’s center“tiRumpel,”the Brache Lachen park, and the Lollypop youth center all in the immediate vicinity. The Lachen Neighborhood Association addresses community concerns. You can find more information here.
Northeast Holy Cross
This neighborhood in the eastern part of the city connects various residential and commercial areas. It is characterized by educational institutions such as the PHSG and the Kantonsschule am Brühl, cultural venues such as the Tonhalle and Theater St. Gallen, and sports facilities such as the Athletikzentrum and Espenmoos. The Olma trade fairs add to the neighborhood’s lively atmosphere. You can find more information here.
Notkersegg
The Notkersegg neighborhood is located in the southern part of the city of St. Gallen, on the northern slope of the Freudenberg. This rural neighborhood begins in the west at the Drei Weieren and borders the canton of Ausserrhoden to the east. The neighborhood is characterized by the Capuchin monastery, which was founded in 1381 and is still run today by a religious community of nuns. It takes just six minutes to reach Notkersegg from the city center via the Appenzeller Bahnen. During the ride, you can catch a glimpse of Lake Constance. You can find more information here.
Oberstrasse
The Oberstrasse neighborhood is located on the northern slope of the Menzlenwald. People of all ages and from diverse cultural backgrounds live here together. The area has excellent public transportation connections, and the highway entrance is also easily accessible by car. By bike, you can reach downtown in under ten minutes via the freight station. If you’re up for a bit of a climb, take a walk over the Hochwacht to the Menzlenwald, where you’ll be rewarded with a wonderful view of the entire city and all the way to Lake Constance.
Riethüsli
With a population of around 4,500, Riethüsli is one of the smallest of the city’s 17 neighborhoods. In recent years, there has been significant construction activity on the hillsides, and many young families have moved into the neighborhood. It offers almost everything you need for daily life: a school, the GBS vocational and continuing education center, a café with a post office branch, a new train station, an Italian restaurant, the Nestweiher pond, excellent public transportation connections, and, on top of that, proximity to nature, forests, and hiking trails. And on top of it all, on the Solitüde, the most beautiful view in the city. You can find more information here.
Rosenberg
Together with Freudenberg, Rosenberg frames the city of St. Gallen against the landscape. The residential neighborhood is also home to many educational institutions (University of Applied Sciences of Eastern Switzerland, Speech Therapy School, Institut am Rosenberg, Neue Stadtschule). In addition, the main train station is located in the southeastern part of the neighborhood. Due to the southern exposure of the hillside, Rosenberg was long considered a popular residential area among affluent residents. Today, however, the neighborhood is more diverse. You can find more information here.
Rotmonten
Rotmonten is a vibrant neighborhood offering a high quality of life and home to various institutions, such as the University of St. Gallen (HSG) and the Peter and Paul Wildlife Park. Numerous clubs and organizations contribute to the neighborhood’s vibrant daily life through their events. Rotmonten has two school buildings and six kindergartens, as well as a public outdoor swimming pool, the “Badi Rotmonten.” The neighborhood association is dedicated to promoting activities and community life in the neighborhood. You can find more information here.
St.Fiden-Neudorf
… the neighborhood of superlatives! It’s the neighborhood with the largest population, home to the tallest high-rise building—the Cantonal Hospital—and the first shopping center, the Silberturm, as well as the Guggeienwald and Hagenbuchwald as local recreational areas. The neighborhood is the closest to Lake Constance, boasts the best soccer academy with the Krönli-Kids at Paul Grüninger Stadium, and features the only outdoor track and field facility. Along with a mix of shops, restaurants, and industry, it is the people from a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds who bring the neighborhood to life. You can find more information here.
St.Georgen
Nestled between Freudenberg, the Tal der Demut, and the Wenigerweiher lies St. Georgen, a neighborhood with a village feel. The neighborhood has retained its village character, featuring a grocery store, a post office, a neighborhood pub, a bakery, and a butcher shop. From anywhere in the neighborhood, you can be out in nature within a few minutes on foot. Whether it’s a stroll to Unterer Brand or a jog over the Gupf to Wenigerweiher. In summer, people gather at the Drei Weieren for coffee and cinnamon pastries. In winter, the ski lift at Beckenhalde is a highlight. You can find more information here.
St.Mange
In the northern part of the Old Town, surrounding St. Gallen’s oldest church, St. Mangen Church, lies the neighborhood of the same name. This winding Old Town neighborhood slopes upward toward the church from all sides, giving it a charm all its own. A flea market is held regularly along Goliathgasse. The neighborhood is home to many different restaurants, bars, and a movie theater. You’ll also find unique small businesses here, such as a thrift store, an antique bookstore, and a tattoo parlor. You can find more information here.
St.Otmar
With the lively Kreuzbleiche sports and recreation complex—one of the city’s largest green spaces—and the peaceful, natural Burgweiher area, St. Otmar is the ideal residential and recreational neighborhood in the city center. It offers a full range of culinary options, from snack bars and neighborhood pubs to upscale dining. The neighborhood gets a touch of wanderlust thanks to the railway line running right next to it. Its immediate proximity to the main train station and highway access make the neighborhood the perfect starting point or destination. You can find more information here.
Southeast
The Southeast neighborhood is located just outside the gates of the Old Town. The true heart of the neighborhood is Linsebühl, famous—and infamous—as the city’s former red-light district. Those days are long gone, but what remains is the colorful mix of residents, the charm, and the diversity. Linsebühl Street, as well as Lämmlisbrunnen Street and Rorschacherstrasse, offer many shops, businesses, cafés, restaurants, and bars. Between the lively main thoroughfares, however, there are also neighborhoods that are valued as residential areas—by both families and students alike. You can find more information here.
Tschudiwies Center
Tschudiwies-Centrum is a downtown neighborhood that includes the main train station and the main post office. The St. Leonhard School is the neighborhood’s school. The neighborhood is home to numerous shops, insurance agencies, banks, businesses, and retail stores. It is also home to many middle-class families with children, who contribute to the vitality of the school and the neighborhood. The neighborhood stretches from Otmarsbrücke in the west to Oberer Graben and from the railroad tracks to Schneebergstrasse. The neighborhood association represents the public interest and promotes community life. You can find more information here.
Angles
This politically and religiously independent association is committed to: Advancing the neighborhood’s interests in dealings with government agencies, industry, and private entities. Preserving and improving the quality of life and housing in the neighborhood. The neighborhood’s interests in the areas of land use planning, transportation, and construction. The promotion and support of Winkler associations. A good social mix, affordable housing, excellent bus, train, and bike connections, minimal traffic congestion, first-class recreational areas, industrial and garden areas, and proximity to the soccer stadium.
