Sargans

Sargans is a municipality in the canton of Saint Gallen in Eastern Switzerland.

Get in

By train

Sargans is an important regional hub. Trains heading north toward St. Gallen, east toward Chur and Ticino, and toward Austria, all pass through Sargans. Trains are operated by Swiss Federal Railways.

The train connections from Zurich to Sargans are very good; there is a train every 30 minutes.

By car

Sargans can be reached via the A3 motorway (from Zurich) or the A13 motorway (from St. Margrethen).

See

• 1 Artillery Fort Magletsch ("The Hammer"), ☏ +41 81 783 26 11, festungen@afom.ch. Guided tours on demand. A handful of public guided tours are organised every year. See the website for details. An artillery fort that was built during the Second World War and is the most northerly corner of the fortress Sargans. (updated Jun 2017)
• 2 Castle Sargans, ☏ +41 81 723 65 69. April-October 10:00-12:00, 13:30-17:30 (museum). It is the most popular and most spectacular sight in Sargans. In the tower of the castle is the Sarganserland Museum where you can see historic and folkloristic objects. There is also a restaurant. Fr. 8/4. (updated Jun 2017)
• 3 Gonzen mine, ☏ +41 81 723 12 17, info@bergwerk-gonzen.ch. This old iron ore mine has more than 90 km (56 mi) of tunnels. It can only be visited by guided tours, either walking into the mine or taking the train. There are various tours on offer, from 2.5 hours to overnight. The tours are mostly for organised groups, but a list of public tours for individuals to join is usually posted on the website. You will experience the mysterious world of the miners. The workplaces have been left in their original conditions. There is also a restaurant on site. (updated Jun 2017)
• 4 Roman estate. The Roman estate is only partly preserved. It was destroyed either in 270 or 288 AD by an attack of the Alamanni or by a rockslide. (updated Jun 2017)

Do

In and around Sargans, you can do many different sports.

• Climbing. You can climb in a hall or outdoor. Pilatus is a particularly popular climbing region, offering a range of routes in all degrees of difficulty. 
• Snow sports. Flumserberg, the Pizol, and Amden are popular places for snow sports. In winter, there is an ice park in Sargans .
• 1 Sichelchamm. An alpine hike trail (difficulty around T4) leads to the top of this mountain from the nearby dwelling 'Verachta'. The ledge of rock forms a striking fold in the western flank of the Sichelchamm. The mountain owes its name to these crescent-shaped parallel arches.  

Buy

The Pizolpark and the Pizolcenter are two shopping malls near Sargans.

Eat

• 1 Schloss Sargans, ☏ +41 81 723 14 88. Daily from March to December. The restaurant is located in the castle. (updated Mar 2017)

Sleep

• 1 Hotel Post, Bahnhofstrasse 1, ☏ +41 81 720 47 47, info@hotelpost-sargans.ch. single from Fr. 88.50 double from 67.75 per person. (updated Mar 2017)