Samnaun – the Duty-Free Oasis of Switzerland
The first settlers came from Lower Engadine and arrived in Samnaun Valley between 800-100 A.D. on the search for new pastures. Samnaun served as the spring pasture and was later part of the borough of Ramosch. As a result, the history of Samnaun is largely identical to that of Lower Engadine. Today the names of the villages, fields and mountains are our best indicator of the old Rhaeto-Romanic culture.
The only connections to the outside world were the passes to Engadine and Paznaun, and an ox and cart track to Pfunds via Spiss. Active trading with neighbouring Tyrol developed thanks to this ox track. However, despite the cultural influences from Tyrol, the language remained the same in Samnaun for centuries; Romansh was almost exclusively spoken at home until 1800. The last person from Samnaun who could still speak Romansh died in 1935.
The centralisation of Swiss customs in 1848 brought trade with Tyrol to an abrupt end. This caused the inhabitants of Samnaun to lose an important source of income. As a result, they filed a petition with the federal authorities – first in 1888 and then again in 1892, this time with the support of the district bureau of Ramosch and the Canton of Graubünden – to exclude Samnaun from Swiss customs territory. In 1892, the Federal Council met this demand and Samnaun was declared duty-free. The Federal Council primarily justified this decision with the absence of a direct access road to Samnaun through Swiss territory and the subsequent increase in the cost of food for the valley when the customs duty was introduced.
