Wattwil, the main town of Toggenburg and birth place of the poet Ulrich Bräker, is reached in less than an hour by car from Zurich and St. Gallen. Local sights of note are the St. Mary the Angel Convent and the Iberg Castle ruins.

The most populated municipality in Toggenburg is a railway junction. From here, SFR trains travel to Wil and through the 8-km-long Ricken tunnel to Rapperswil, as well as the Südostbahn (Southeast Railway) to St. Gallen and Upper Toggenburg to Nesslau-Neu St. Johann.

Sightseeing attractions include the St. Mary the Angel Convent with its high baroque church (built 1621), the Iberg Castle ruins, the house where Ulrich Bräker (1735 - 1798) was born in Näppis, the late classic Kubli Church (1848), old industrialists’ houses and richly appointed farmhouses. At the beginning of the 20th century, Wattwil was an important centre for the textile industry. Numerous now disused factories are evidence of this.

The now ruined Iberg Castle was built around 1240 with the purpose of controlling traffic over the Ricken pass. In those days, the Counts of Toggenburg and the Abbots of the St. Gallen Monastery were often rivals. The tower, rebuilt in 1902 on an impressive rise west of the town is now a reminder of that period.

The most striking building in Wattwil is the Franciscan St. Mary the Angel Convent, know as the «Klösterli». Set on a terrace, it could almost give the impression of being a small medieval town. The convent was built in 1621, near the pilgrims’ route that existed then, to Einsiedeln. The high altar dating from 1774 in the convent church is a magnificent work in high baroque style.

Further attractions at Wattwil and its surroundings are a modern skate park open-air facility «alley oop», an outdoor swimming pool with giant slide, current channel, sun-bathing meadow and sandy beach, beach volleyball court and boccia alley, minigolf course, footpaths and cycleway alongside the Thur and many winter sports facilities in Upper Toggenburg.

The neighbouring market town of Lichtensteig with its beautiful rows of houses, cobbled lanes and arcades is home to the «Erlebniswelt Toggenburg» with Europe’s largest miniature railway to the scale of 1:45, 1200 metres of track, 30 locomotives, 250 carriages and wagons, 13 trains travelling at the same time in an area of 500 m2. Also to be found here is a collection of old-timer motorcycles and agricultural machinery.

Highlights

• St. Mary the Angel Convent – the high altar of the convent church dating from 1774 is a magnificent work in high baroque style.
• Erlebniswelt Toggenburg – Europe’s largest miniature railway in a scale of 1:45, plus old-timer motorcycles and agricultural machinery.