Moving in Appenzell Innerrhoden – with care in the smallest canton

With 173 square kilometres, Appenzell Innerrhoden is the canton with the second-smallest area after Basel-Stadt. As of 30 September 2025, 16,214 people lived here; at 97 inhabitants per square kilometre it is far less densely populated than the Swiss average of 221. Anyone moving from Zurich to Innerrhoden therefore swaps an urban agglomeration for a canton in which 56 per cent of the land is used for farming.

A canton made up of three parts

The cantonal territory is fragmented: it consists of three separate areas and borders only on Appenzell Ausserrhoden and St. Gallen. As a result, there are no fewer than six points where the borders of the three cantons meet. One of them is on the Säntis, at 2502 m above sea level the highest mountain in the Alpstein range.

Politically, a distinction is made between the Innerer Landesteil (Inner Land) with the districts of Appenzell, Gonten, Schlatt-Haslen and Schwende-Rüte, and the Äusserer Landesteil (Outer Land), which comprises only the district of Oberegg. For your move in Appenzell Innerrhoden this means that we reach an address in Oberegg by a different route than one in the Inner Land. As your removals company, we set the route and the parking spot individually for each address during the survey.

Districts instead of municipalities

The Bezirke (districts) correspond to the political municipalities of other cantons and were created in 1872 from the former Rhoden. Since 1 May 2022, Schwende and Rüte have formed a single district. The village of Appenzell is shared by several districts; for cross-district tasks such as the fire brigade and water and energy supply, a separate Feuerschaugemeinde has existed there since the 16th century.

If you need a parking reservation for moving day, we clarify with you which office is responsible for your address and organise the reservation for you.

Served by train and PostBus

The Appenzeller Bahnen railway connects the canton via Gais and Teufen with St. Gallen and via Urnäsch and Herisau with Gossau. In addition, eight PostBus lines run here, which also serve parts of Appenzell Ausserrhoden and St. Gallen. If you are moving to the Appenzell region without a car of your own, you can take proximity to the railway line into account when choosing a flat.

For your movers, on the other hand, what counts is access for the removal van. For isolated farms and houses away from the main roads, we check in advance:

• which vehicle size the access road allows
• how far the carrying distance is from the road to the front door
• whether a furniture lift makes sense for upper floors
• whether furniture should be stored until you move in

Living and working in the canton

The unemployment rate in January 2026 was 0.9 per cent, compared with 3.2 per cent nationwide. Alongside agriculture, a diverse range of businesses shapes the canton, including the Locher brewery, Goba AG with mineral water from Gontenbad, and Wyon AG, which manufactures micro-batteries. For smaller businesses, we handle office relocations outside business hours.

The de facto official language is German; the local dialects belong to Eastern Swiss German but stand out with older pronunciations and words of their own. The population is predominantly Roman Catholic, a difference from Protestant Ausserrhoden dating back to the division of the land in 1597. As a removals company based in Wallisellen, we accompany you on your way here, whether you are moving to the main town of Appenzell or to one of the other districts.

Frequently asked questions

Who can carry a piano out of an Appenzell farmhouse in Gonten or Schlatt-Haslen?
Our team, with a separately planned piano transport from CHF 250.–. In old farmhouses, we measure door lintels, wooden staircases and the route to the vehicle in advance. The instrument is padded, moved with enough carriers and strapped down in the van before it continues over the country roads of Innerrhoden.

How does a move to Weissbad or Brülisau at the foot of the Alpstein work?
With a close look at the last stretch of the route: for addresses in Schwende-Rüte, we ask you to show us the house access, turning space and floors in advance by photo or video. If there is not enough space for the large removal van, we split the load into two smaller runs and increase the team accordingly.

How do wardrobes and beds get into a painted house on the Hauptgasse in Appenzell?
Dismantled and well padded: our carpenters take large pieces of furniture apart before carrying them, so that they fit through narrow doors and tight staircases. We cover the stairwell and floors and protect wooden banisters and door frames. On the Landsgemeindeplatz as on the Hauptgasse, we reassemble everything in your new home.

What do movers look out for with a scattered-settlement house on the Kronberg in Gonten?
Above all, the farm access and the carrying route: between the Kronberg and the raised bog, many houses stand on their own, some a little way off the road. We therefore clarify where the van can park and turn safely, how many carriers are needed and whether a workshop, barn or shed should be moved as well.

Where can my furniture go if my new build in Appenzell is not ready to move into yet?
Until your Appenzell new build is finished, your furniture waits in our storage facility, which is kept dry, climate-controlled and protected by an alarm. We collect your household goods on your move-out date in the Zurich area, put them into storage and deliver them on call to the district of your choice as soon as the keys to your new home are ready.

What applies when relocating an electronics or engineering business to the Hintere Rüti?
A dedicated plan for equipment and files: we pack measuring instruments, computers and control units individually and shock-proof, and binders go into archive boxes, numbered. The move takes place outside your operating hours, so that production and office are quickly up and running again in the new premises in the Hintere Rüti.

Why is the handover guarantee worthwhile when moving from Zurich to Innerrhoden?
Because you won't have to drive back from the Appenzell region for a follow-up clean. Our cleaning team attends the handover of your old flat and fixes any complaints from the property management immediately and free of charge. Meanwhile, you can settle in in Appenzell, Gonten or Oberegg.

Which items from an Innerrhoden household should you point out during the survey?
Anything that is particularly fragile or valuable, such as traditional peasant painting, painted chests, antiques, glass or art. That way we can tailor padding and boxes exactly to them. Insurance for your removal goods is included in the price; jewellery, cash and important documents are best taken with you personally.