St. Gallen

St. Gallen sits at 670 metres in a narrow valley, which gives it a cooler, wetter climate than the lowlands and noticeably better summer training conditions. The Drei Weieren above the city are the local institution: a short steep climb to three ponds with a view over the whole valley, and the default place every runner here ends up.

Appenzell and the Alpstein are half an hour away, so hiking and trail sessions arranged from here start properly in the mountains rather than in the foothills.