St. Gallen, the metropolis of Eastern Switzerland, lies between the region of Appenzell and Lake Constance. The traffic-free, picturesque old town quarter is renowned for its ornamental oriel windows and stylish art nouveau buildings. It offers top shopping, an excellent choice of restaurants and an invitation to stroll in superb surroundings. The imposing cathedral and Stift Abbey Library are under UNESCO protection as a World Cultural Heritage. Educational institutes, including Europe’s leading University of Economics, make the city the most important centre of learning in the international Lake Constance region. Major events are the OLMA Autumn Exhibition and the St. Gallen Open-Air Concert, both of which attract thousands of visitors. A vast variety of cultural attractions are also on hand, with concerts, art galleries and many excellent museums. The region around St. Gallen (Lake Constance) also offers an array of leisure and excursion attractions.