The perfect balance between city life and nature
Rolf and Silvia decided to move back to St.Gallen from Amriswil three and a half years ago. "For me, it was like coming home," Rolf comments on this step; after all, they now even live in his old parents' house, where he already spent his youth. For the native Viennese, St.Georgen represents the perfect connection between city and country, because both the Swiss nature with all the nearby mountains and the city center are in the immediate vicinity.
The fact that the two met in St. Gallen may also have played a role in their decision. In any case, the urban atmosphere appealed to them. There is a "good spirit" in their neighborhood, and on a walk toward Drei Weieren they pass several neighboring houses where people know each other and are friendly.
A short walk leads through many worlds
Before the short ride on the Mühleggbähnli or even leisurely on foot through the Mülenen Gorge, Rohner's Dorfbeck regularly invites them to stop for a coffee - even if you're just spontaneously seeking shelter from the rain. Then, arriving at the Pic-o-Pello square, the diversity of the city they appreciate so much becomes visible. Between the Splügen corner and the cable car, a variety show is setting up its stage, on the monastery square a variety of different languages of visitors from all over the world can be heard, and even the farmers' market, where regional and local delicacies can be purchased, is only one street away.
The cultural offerings that the two rave about are at least as wide-ranging as the culinary choices at the market stalls. They speak enthusiastically of the large venues, such as the Tonhalle or the municipal theater, as well as the huge variety of small-scale culture and cabaret - be it the Palace with its concerts, Theater 111, the Grabenhalle, or all the large and small festivals that appear again and again throughout the year in various places in the city. The cultural festival in the historical museum and the street artists' festival "Aufgetischt" are particularly popular. St.Gallen has something to offer for every taste and even the real city dweller Silvia is enthusiastic.
"Today, after all, I'm more at home here now than I was all those years I lived in Thurgau."
Silvia Gysel, a native of Vienna, raves about the city of St.Gallen.
Historical development made visible
Other features that make the city unique for the architect Rolf are both the architectural and topographical characteristics. The connection between the monastery and the old town that developed around it to the Art Nouveau houses of the Gründerzeit and the converted buildings, such as the Lokremise, flow into each other and show the historical development of St.Gallen. This physical profile - together with the location between the two hills - is unique and shapes this independent identity.
The couple says goodbye in the Lokremise. They come here regularly to visit the KinoK - they haven't been to other cinemas for a long time - to see the new exhibitions, or to sweeten the evening with a play. Today, however, they settle down in the restaurant they praise - at one of the tables, of course, which stands on the former rails of the former trains. "Today, after all, I'm more at home here now than I was all the years I lived in Thurgau," Silvia Gysel enthuses. The high-quality living, the city with its many opportunities, the cultural offerings and the convenient connections give both of them the feeling that they have really arrived at home.
