St.Gallen Textile Trail (Textilweg)
Impressive buildings with names like “Haus Oceanic”, “Haus Pacific” and “Haus Washington” bear witness to the fabulous wealth and prosperity of the City of St.Gallen in the past. The threads of the textile industry's success were woven together here at the embroidery exchange. This is where manufacturers, buyers, embroiderers and finishers met to share information about market conditions, fashions, commissions and rights of ownership of goods. The Lagerhaus (warehouse), railway station and main post office are all symbolic of St.Gallen’s importance as a business location and as a hub for the transfer of goods. The generously proportioned main post office and railway station also reflect the considerable levels of export and travel activity in St.Gallen around the year 1900. There are also some important buildings just outside the old town. One of them is the Tröckneturm in what is now the Lachenquartier. It has a documentation centre devoted to the history of the city of St.Gallen and of the most important branches of the St.Gallen textile industry. Another is the former Sittertal dye works, which also reflects the importance of the textile industry here.
So take a textile trail and marvel at the outstanding buildings, scan the embroidered QR codes, and listen to more about the history and architecture of the area and its current status.
Embroidered QR codes
Some of the most outstanding buildings and ensembles in the city and region have also been awarded QR boxes. Those who scan the embroidered QR codes in the caskets on the buildings can immerse themselves in stories about the buildings, elaborated in words and pictures by lifestyle researcher Monika Kritzmöller and architect Martin Schregenberger from St.Gallen. The result is an architectural tour through the textile history of Eastern Switzerland that can be experienced individually.
Textile Trail downtown St.Gallen
Discover the most beautiful sides of the textile city St.Gallen! The Textile Trail St.Gallen leads you on about five kilometres (walking time approx. 1-2 hours) to outstanding textile buildings in the centre of St.Gallen. You will learn exciting facts about the history, architecture and current use of the buildings.
Culture Museum St.Gallen – Haus zum Notenstein – Haus zum Sternen – Handelshaus (Trading House) – Haus Pelikan – Stadthaus (Townhouse) – Haus zur Waage – Stickereibörse (Embroidery Market) – Textile Museum St.Gallen – Former building of Christian Fischbacher Co. AG – Haus Oceanic – Central Post Office and Train Station – Altes Lagerhaus (Old Storehouse) – The embroidery quarter – Haus Willson (Filtex) – Haus Pacific – Haus Sonnengarten – Haus Einstein – Haus Jägerei – Schlössli (Little Castle)
Textile Trail St.Gallen West
On the Textile Trail St.Gallen West you follow the Hiking way and Jakobsweg (Way of James) from the St.Gallen train station into nature. The route takes you along «textile spots» and shopping opportunities to the Sitterwerk. It is ideal for an extended walk (6 kilometres downhill, 120 minutes pure walking time).
St.Gallen Train Station – Bischoff Textil AG – Kreuzbleiche – Former Embroidery Factory Iklé-Frères AG – Tröckneturm – Jakob Schlaepfer AG – Muser Brothers – Former Dyeing Works Sitterthal