Until the early 19th century there were no good roads into Ligerz, instead goods and travelers came by boat. In 1835-38 the Biel Road connected Ligerz and the other communities along the lake shore with the city of Biel. The Biel-Neuchâtel railroad, which was built in 1858-60, connected Ligerz to rest of the country. In 1911-12 the Ligerz-Tessenberg funicular was built, allowing travel into the mountains. Due to the limited flat land in Ligerz, a tunnel was built in 1984-91 to route the motorway near the municipality while preserving the appearance of the village. Today the major industries in Ligerz include wine making, tourism and fishing