St. Gallen

Municipal Authority of St. Gallen
Market 35, A-8933 St. Gallen
+43 (0) 3632 209 0
gde@st-gallen.gv.at
www.st-gallen.istsuper.com

Area: 129.79 km²
Population: 1,897 inhabitants
Economy/leading companies: Local shopping centre, economic centre of the region (with companies such as Alpine-Maykestag GmbH, Dirninger GmbH, Greiner Assistec or Steinrieser Gesellschaft mbH) as well as tourism and gastronomy (e.g. Bioreiterhof Laussabauer, Schloss Kassegg or Mostkellerei Veitlbauer). Nature Park management has its office here.

History:

• St. Gallen district
  It was about 850 years ago that the Admont Monastery gave the order to clear and cultivate land and thereby founded the market town of St. Gallen. Throughout the centuries, the economy of the entire region was shaped by the iron industry. For processing iron from iron ore, St. Gallen provided the hydropower that was necessary. Since the end of the iron industry in the 19th century, the market town has become a regional economic centre with tourism as its second pillar.
• Weißenbach/Enns district
  The exact founding date of Weißenbach an der Enns is unknown, however, there are documents proving that the village dates back to the 12th century. On January 9th, 1277, King Rudolf I gave permission to build a bridge across the Enns river, which was built almost exactly on the same spot as today’s Enns Bridge. Like its adjacent communities, Weißenbach benefited from the iron industry holding hammer mills and an associated timber-rafting business downstream.

Geography:
Located on a wide, high plateau, St. Gallen is surrounded by forests and meadows; the Gesäuse Mountains range in the west and the foothills of Reichraminger Hintergebirge in the north. Towering above the village and visible from a great distance, you can spot the Castle of Gallenstein. In Weißenbach the community is mainly marked by the scenic Enns river landscape.

What makes this Nature Park community so special?
Attracting visitors in late summer, the Sankt Gallen Festival is the community’s annual cultural highlight. Sports enthusiasts will also get their money’s worth: There are numerous mountain bike trails and hiking trails from easy to alpine level located around the village centre. Besides, there are sports facilities such as tennis courts, an outdoor pool and a football pitch. In winter, curling rinks and a ski lift are available.