Ten top things to do around St Gallen-Lake Constance

Rising up 2,502m, Mount Säntis is the highest mountain in the area and a Lake Constance-region landmark. Take the Schwägalp-Säntis cable car to the summit to enjoy lunch at the scenic Panorama Restaurant, begin a breathtaking mountain tour or hike, or enjoy the stunning views over six countries: Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, France and Italy.

Make the most of a sunny day on a cruise across the scenic waters of Lake Constance. Swiss Bodensee Schifffahrt's trips take you from Rorschach or Romanshorn on the Swiss shore across to the picturesque German towns of Konstanz, Friedrichshafen, Immenstaad and Meersburg. And you can even enjoy lunch on board.

Siberian tigers, chimpanzees, zebras, alligators – there are over 700 animals belonging to 120 species for you and your family to meet at Walter Zoo. These also include the lions, which have just made their return to the zoo in a new facility that offers them plenty of space. Other awesome on-site activities include camel and pony rides and kids' theatre shows beneath a big top. An adventure for the whole family! 

Children and sweet-toothed grown-ups alike will lick their lips at the chance to enter the magical world of Swiss confectioner Maestrani’s Chocolarium. You’ll get to learn chocolate-making secrets, see a 100-metre-long chocolate machine in action, as well as sample the goodies along the way. For the really cocoa-loco, there’s also the chance to create your own custom-designed chocolate bar!

Get a taste of Switzerland's strongest cheese at the Appenzeller Schaukaeserei. Okay, you won't learn the top-secret Appenzeller recipe, but you will get a peek into the vats and a cellar home to 12,500 wheels of cheese. Finish up with a fondue in the unsurprisingly cheese-centric restaurant and a trip to the shop to pick up your own slice of the smelly stuff.

Having rocketed to fame after featuring on a National Geographic cover and built right into the side of the mountain, the Berggasthaus Aescher-Wildkirchli will provide you with one of the most picturesque settings for lunch on the planet. Only accessible via the Wasserauen-Ebenalp cable car and a 15-minute walk through the Wildkirchli caves, it offers both stunning views of St Gallen and Lake Constance and some of the best rösti around.

Part of the Abbey of St Gallen complex, which also includes the imposing baroque cathedral, the rococo Abbey library is not only the oldest library in Switzerland but also a Unesco World Heritage Site. Highlights include its exquisite curved reading room, two-metre-high sixteenth-century globe and 170,000 volumes. And don’t forget to say hello to Schepenese, the seventh-century BCE Egyptian mummy the library has owned since 1836. An unmissable part of any city visit. Book your ticket now by clicking here.

The Mühleggbahn funicular railway has been chugging up and down the hillside connecting the centre of St Gallen with the suburb of St Georgen for the last 120 years. Due to reopen in November 2018 after an extensive eight-month refurbishment, it's the perfect way to reach the peaceful Drei Weieren recreational area with its artificial ponds used for both swimming in summer and ice-skating in winter.

The whole abbey district invites you to explore medieval documents and outstanding exhibitions. The St.Gall plan is considered to be the most important architectural drawing of the Middle Ages. After an introductory multivision display, the plan can be viewed in its original form for a few seconds.

Looking for an escape to the country? With its forests, lakes and mountain views, the St Gallen Rhine Valley is a weekend hiker’s paradise. And if you like the idea of a ramble with refreshment en route, the 3.5km wine hike through the Bernecker vineyards is for you. Not only will you learn tons about wine-making, but you’ll also be able to sample Rhine Valley wines in restaurants and wineries on the way.