Duty-free since 1892

Until 1912, Samnaun could only be reached via the only access road through Austria. This meant that the people of Samnaun traded goods with neighboring Tyrol. This changed abruptly with the introduction of the customs system in 1848. All goods transported across the border now had to be cleared through customs. The people of Samnaun fought against this - with success. The Federal Council decided in 1892 that Samnaun would be duty-free. This status was maintained in 1912 with the opening of the Samnaun road from Martina to Samnaun on Swiss territory; the Graubünden village still enjoys this status today - the only area in Switzerland to do so.