St. Gallen, Switzerland (May 31, 2008)

St. Gallen is the capital of the eastern canton of St. Gallen, and it's eastern Switzerland's largest town. The city has a rich religious history starting in 612, when Gallus, an Irish monk, founded a hermitage; later, in 747, a Benedictine abbey was built.

St. Gallen's massive Baroque cathedral and monastery were constructed in the 18th century by Johann Michael Beer von Bildstein. The abbey, with its cathedral and impressive library (housing more than 150,000 books and manuscripts dating back to the 8th century), is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

St. Gallen's quaint Old Town, with 17th and 18th century half-timbered houses and painted facades
The beautiful interior of the St. Gallen cathedral
The twin towers of the St. Gallen cathedral
A typical St. Gallen architectural feature - the oriel window
Another scenic square in St. Gallen's old town