Abtwil between local history and Säntispark

Depending on the occasion, you can focus on the parish church and historic village centre, the history of the villages in Gaiserwald, or water and wellness activities. Cycling, skating and mountain biking tours also offer inspiration for planning your trip.

Parish Church and Historic Village Centre

The historic village centre of Abtwil is characterised by a large number of preserved old buildings, some of which are in need of renovation. The parish church is a tangible point of reference for the town’s architectural history. It was built between 1903 and 1905 in the neo-Gothic style to replace the church in St. Josefen, which had become too small. On 30 October 1905, Bishop Augustinus Egger consecrated the church to St Joseph. The plans for the new building were drawn up by church architect August Hardegger.

A virtual tour of the parish church, created in 2024, is available. If you would like to include it in your plans, check before your trip whether the tour is available. Together with the construction period, neo-Gothic style and consecration, this provides a clear historical focus for exploring Abtwil.

Local History and Archaeological Heritage

The Gaiserwald Local History Museum is housed in the old rectory in St. Josefen. It offers insights into the history of the villages of St. Josefen, Abtwil and Engelburg. Its scope therefore extends beyond a single village. If you are interested in local history, the focus here is on the shared perspective of these three villages.

The ruins of Ätschberg Castle in Gaiserwald offer a different way to explore history. They are a protected archaeological site at a 12th-century castle site, complete with a neck ditch. The two historical interests thus differ: the museum covers the history of three villages, while Ätschberg, as an archaeological site at a castle location, has a specific connection to the Middle Ages.

Water World and Wellness at Säntispark

Säntispark’s water world offers a variety of aquatic attractions. The wave pool features a water fountain and a surf zone; the brine pool is heated to 34 degrees. The children’s water world has a cave slide, a tube slide and a pool with an interactive fish projection. This makes it easy to choose between waves and surf, the brine pool and the various features of the children’s water world.

The Roman-Irish Bath offers a programme of its own: the 12-station wellness programme lasts 2.5 hours and is reserved for guests aged 16 and over. This duration refers to the programme. Individual areas of the water world may be temporarily unavailable; age rules and booking details for the Roman-Irish Bath may also change. Therefore, check the operator’s current information before your visit, especially if you are planning to use a particular area or take part in the programme.

Tours, Panoramas and Getting There

Abtwil is a suitable starting point for longer cycling, skating or mountain biking tours. A panorama can be enjoyed from Aetschberg in Abtwil. Conditions on individual tours may change, so take this into account when planning. Two tours in the wider Abtwil area offer additional points of reference and have different focuses: the St. Gallen–Bodensee–Weier cycling tour is a circular route from St. Gallen via the Sitter, several ponds and as far as Gübsensee. The St. Gallen Bridges Trail is a themed walking route along the Sitter, with information about the construction and design of the bridges around St. Gallen. This makes it possible to choose between a circular route with several points of interest by the water and a walking trail focused on bridge construction.

Public transport connections can also be included in your plans: VBSG route 4 serves the Abtwil Säntispark (St. Josefen) stop and connects it with St. Gallen railway station and Wittenbach railway station. Check the current timetable before travelling, as public transport connections may change.

Discover more destinations: Waldkirch, Eggersriet, St. Gallen, Gossau

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