ViaJacobi, Stage 1/33

Rorschach, a medieval traffic hub and lake port of St. Gallen, is mentioned as a pilgrimage station around the year 1300. Highlights of the hike to Herisau include a visit to the Abbey Library in St. Gallen and the bridge landscape in Bruggen.

The long hike begins at Rorschach Hafen, just a few steps from Lake Constance. The yellow-marked hiking trail climbs out of the town, passes Schloss Sulzberg and continues across meadows and through residential areas to Untereggen. The lake is left behind as the route gradually works its way up into the St. Gallen hills.

After around four hours, the trail reaches St. Gallen. In the heart of the city, it passes the Church of St. Laurenzen, whose predecessor dates back to the 12th century, and later the Neo-Gothic Church of St. Leonhard. The route continues via Lachen to the Unterer Burgweier and on through the western districts.

Beyond Bruggen, the scenery changes: the Bannwald offers a quieter stretch of woodland, soon followed by the Gübsensee directly on the route. At its eastern end stands one of Switzerland’s oldest gravity dams. The final ascent now leads to open uplands. Near Polishöchi, the hike reaches its highest point at around 800 m before descending to the first houses of Herisau. The route ends at the Reformed church in Herisau, near the Obstmarkt stop.