Wil, Switzerland

Wil is a small city in St Gallen canton in Eastern Switzerland. Covering 7.62 sq km (2.94 sq mi), Wil has a population of 18,000 people (2011 estimate). It is the third largest city in St Gallen canton after St Gallen and Rapperswil-Jona. The Old Town has been so well preserved that the city was awarded the 1984 Wakker Prize for architectural heritage.

Wil Old Town, Switzerland
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WilAltstadt1.JPG
Author: Peter Berger


Most of the people in Wil speak German as their mother tongue (85.1%). As there is a high percentage of foreign nationals living there (25.8%), the second most commonly heard language in Wil is Albanian, followed by Italian. Over half the population of Wil attend the Roman Catholic church (53.8%) compared to 21.7% that attend the Swiss Reformed Church.

Wil today has three sites listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significance. They are the Baronenhaus, the Dominican Abbey of St Katharina and Hof, the former seat of the Prince-Abbot.

Visiting Wil

Wil can be reached by train from Zürich on the line from Zürich-Winterthur to St Gallen.

Hof, former seat of the prince-abbot in Wil, Switzerland
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wil_Altstadt_8375.jpg
Author: Manfred Morgner