© Marie-Madeleine & Giuseppe
© Marie-Madeleine & Giuseppe

Planning a trip? Build a personalized plan with Maya - your AI travel assistant by Live the World

Chat with Maya

Maison Cailler: Inside a Swiss chocolate factory

2 minutes to read

Travel Tips For Broc

Get personalized advice based on this article from AI assistant Maya
Get the most authentic Food experience. Check out these guided tours and skip-the-line tickets around Broc.
If you use the above links, you pay the same price and we get a small commission - thanks for your support!

Switzerland is not only the country of luxury watches, knives and cheese: Chocolate is another masterpiece. Swiss chocolate is considered by many to be the best chocolate in the world. Only the Belgians can just about compete against it!

Nestled in the heart of the Gruyère region, in the Canton Fribourg, the Maison Cailler is the oldest industrial chocolate factory still operating in Switzerland.

© Marie-Madeleine & Giuseppe
© Marie-Madeleine & Giuseppe

François-Louis Cailler founded his original chocolate factory in 1819 on the shores of Lake Geneva. Later, his son Alexandre-Louis moved the factory to Broc-Fabrique, in the neighbouring Gruyère region in 1899. Broc, in the Swiss Midlands, counts extensive grazing cows in green meadows, the river and the new railway running nearby in driving this decision. Since then, the cows that provide excellent milk for the production of the Gruyère AOP cheese also supply the factory for the production of the milk chocolate and additional products. The ancient Broc factory is still running today, but it is in its adjacent building where the large majority of Cailler chocolate is produced today.

© Marie-Madeleine & Giuseppe
© Marie-Madeleine & Giuseppe
© Marie-Madeleine & Giuseppe
© Marie-Madeleine & Giuseppe

The ancient factory is open to visitors, and welcomes you every day, with the only exceptions of Christmas and the New Year’s days for a sweet visit. This guided visit will let you learn the chocolate manufacturing process, from the cocoa bean to the chocolate, as well as Cailler’s story. At the end of the visit, you can taste great chocolate...all you can eat! The best chocolate lovers will learn what is the maximum quantity of chocolate they can eat (we did)! Next, the nearby factory shop sells all varieties of Cailler chocolate.

© Marie-Madeleine & Giuseppe
© Marie-Madeleine & Giuseppe
© Marie-Madeleine & Giuseppe
© Marie-Madeleine & Giuseppe

Visitors to Cailler’s factory should also go and explore the surrounding region! Of course the lovely Swiss village of Gruyères and there are plenty of nice walks in the area to start burning the calories from the Cailler visit! A few tips: The footpath around Lake Gruyère located nearby offers great sceneries. The 44 kilometre long walk following the banks of Lake Gruyère is easy and accessible. If you do not have the time for the long walk or you are too lazy, several shorter walk options are available on the same path.

Want to plan a trip here? Talk to AI travel assistant Maya.





The author

Marie-Madeleine & Giuseppe Renauld

Marie-Madeleine & Giuseppe Renauld

Marie-Madeleine and Giuseppe are a couple living in Geneva, Switzerland. They are both passionate about travelling, history, cultures, and traditional food. They share stories about Brussels and the south of Belgium, as well as the Italian valley of Mont-Blanc and surroundings.

Plan a trip with Maya - your AI travel assistant

Chat with Maya

Stories you might also like