8. Rapperswil to Wattwil

Route N°4 in a green square "Via Jacobi" is marked in two directions:

• In the direction of Santiago de Compostela with a blue border and a gold shell, 
• In the opposite direction for the return home without blue edges or shells.

Follow the green squares N°4 without edge because the Kolumbansweg goes up the road to Santiago.

At the fountain in the main square (Hauptplatz), turn right onto Halsgasse and at the end turn left onto the main road to take the track after the first street on the right (Kniestrasse):

1. The Gemüsebrücke passes over a railway track and continues in the axis to a corner of the field. At this point, turn right (Hanfländerstrasse), continue in the same direction (Werkstrasse and Neuhofstrasse) to cross the railway and then a roundabout. 
   
   
2. Take the first street on the left after the roundabout (Aubrigstrasse) and then the first on the right (Johannisbergstrasse) which allows you to leave the city and continue eastwards on a small wooded ridge in the countryside until you cross road N° 345.
   
   
3. Turn right onto the asphalt bike path and then the woodland edge path, which then returns to the road to enter Eschenbach. At the central crossroads with Rickenstrasse, take this street on the left and follow it until you reach a first track on the left after leaving the city (Rietstuck). 
   
   
4. After a right-hand bend, this track turns into a path in the fields, overlooks the road and arrives at Neuhaus via Lettenstrasse. Cross the main street and continue opposite by Kapellweg and Jakobstrasse in front of the Jakobus chapel. Take the path under the road overpass and cross the creek. At the last farm, turn left on the track that goes up to the road. Leave the wooden covered bridge on the left and join the road. Continue on the path opposite according to the markings. The track enters St Gallenkappel via Gerendingerstrasse, Obergeredingerstrasse (left), Sonnenrainstrasse (front) and Kirchweg towards St Gall church.
   
   
5. After the church, go down the main street on the right and turn left immediately (Grundwies). In the bend of the asphalt road, continue on the field path that leads to the forest. Go along the edge and go up a large curve towards the road. Cross it and continue to climb up the meadows: Allmeindstrasse, Breitenholz (right), Kirchbodenstrasse (left) to reach the hamlet of Rüeterswil. Walk past the chapel, continue up to the hamlet of Höfli and go down to the road near a calvary.
   
   
6. This road passes through Walde and climbs to Oberricken. Afterwards in the descent, turn left towards Cholloch, go up into the mountain pastures at 970m and then go down towards Wattwil cutting some bends.
   
   
7. Arrived at the castle which dominates the city, join the road by the marked path. In the bend of the road, cross and take the path to the right along the valley which goes down towards road N°8. Turn left twice in front of the petrol station to reach the abbey, which is clearly visible from a height.