The Swiss like to think they make the best chocolate in the world.
Bold statement, I know.
But I don't think it's too far fetched. After all, who doesn't love a good handful of Lindor chocolates or a couple of Toblerone triangles?
And while certain other chocolate nations, like for instance the Belgians, might disagree here, there's no denying that Swiss chocolate is simply delicious.
It comes as no surprise that our annual chocolate intake is quite remarkable. In 2017, the Swiss consumed an impressive 10.5 kg of chocolate per capita. As opposed to 7.2 kg in Belgium and 2.8 kg in Greece.
So if you consider yourself a chocolate lover, Switzerland is perfect for you.
By the way, visiting a chocolate factory is a popular pastime for the Swiss on a rainy day. Prepare to have lots of company when it's cold and wet outside.
1. Maison Cailler in Broc
Cailler is Switzerland's oldest chocolate brand and has its origin in Vevey, a little town by Lake Geneva. It dates all the way back to 1819, which means they just recently celebrated their 200-year anniversary.
After a few ups and downs (personal and financial), Cailler moved their production from Vevey to their current location in Broc. To learn everything about the history of this family business, visit their visitors' centre Maison Cailler.
Maison Cailler in Broc is well worth a visit if you're in the Gruyère region.
An interactive tour walks you through the history of Chocolat Cailler. It also introduces you to some fundamental chocolate-making facts, lets you watch their chocolate production firsthand and offers plenty of tasting opportunities.
As always, they're saving the best for last. The final room, right before the factory store, is everything you've hoped for. And more.
This mouth-watering all-you-can-eat selection of Cailler chocolates makes it impossible to stop. I know it did for me.
You probably won't be able to stop here...
After all, why would you...?
Keep this final stop in mind as you arrive at the first tasting station and wonder why you should hold back on those roasted almonds. They're delicious. But you'll want to leave enough room for what's to come.
In case you're interested in joining a chocolate-making class, reserve your spot for a workshop at their atelier du chocolat.
Watch the Cailler chocolate production line.
Make your own chocolate at one of their workshops.
How do you get there?
Maison Cailler is situated in Broc, a village in the Canton of Fribourg. To get there by public transport, make your way to Bulle and transfer to the direct train to Broc-Fabrique.
How much does it cost?
Admission is 12 CHF (book your ticket here*). However, if you have a Swiss Travel Pass or a Swiss Museum Pass, you get in for free.
Also, SBB RailAway offers special deals to people arriving by public transport. Booking a combination of your train and entrance ticket through them will give you a discount on both tickets.
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2. Camille Bloch in Courtelary
Camille Bloch is the company behind my two absolute favourites. Ragusa and Torino.
Their visitors' centre in Courtelary is a fantastic place to buy all different kinds of their chocolate creations. And their exhibition doesn't stop at telling you about the ups and downs of this family business since its early beginnings in 1926.
It also includes a mouth-watering demo station, where two chocolatiers make Ragusa and Torino bars right in front of you. Needless to say you'll be able to taste their delicious outcome only minutes after it's finished.
Watch the pros make delicious Ragusa chocolate.
The freshest Ragusa you'll ever taste.
If you're looking for a special gift, you can engrave your own Ragusa bar at the factory store. It's a little pricy but for 22.50 CHF, you get 450 g of Ragusa chocolate with your engraving with up to 30 letters.
They also offer several workshops where you get to create your own chocolate bar. To reserve your spot, head to their workshop site.
Torino bars after the "chocolate shower".
Shop till you drop after the tour.
How do you get there?
Camille Bloch have their visitors' centre in Courtelary, a village in the Canton of Bern. To get there by public transport, head to Biel and catch the train for La Chaux-de-Fonds.
How much does it cost?
Admission is 15 CHF. Also, SBB RailAway offers special deals to people arriving by public transport. Booking a combination of your train and entrance ticket through them will give you a discount on both tickets.
3. Maestrani's Chocolarium in Flawil
Like Cailler, Maestrani has its origin back in the 19th century. Since its foundation in 1852, they've had plenty of time to bring their recipes to perfection and today, it's impossible to imagine a supermarket without their Munz, Minor and Maestrani creations.
Apart from making chocolate in all shapes and sizes, Maestrani also produces a wide array of other sweet treats. Like for instance their fruit jelly, which is especially popular around Easter. Or those sticky Caramel bars that'll mercilessly glue your jaw together after the first bite.
Learn how happiness finds its way into chocolate at Maestrani's Chocolarium in Flawil.
In 2004, after decades of running their production in St. Gallen, Maestrani moved to Flawil and opened the Chocolarium in 2017. This interactive museum mainly focuses on explaining how happiness finds its way into chocolate. After all, that's the burning question here, isn't it?
Additionally, a one-hundred-metres long chocolate machine lets you take a glimpse of their production firsthand, before you arrive at quite a generous tasting station.
Chocolarium also offers a variety of workshops to help you perfect your chocolate-making skills. You can reserve your spot on their website.
Milk a cow...
...or spend some quality time with the chocolate fountains.
How do you get there?
Getting to Flawil by train takes around 50 minutes from Zurich and 20 minutes from St. Gallen. At Flawil station, catch bus No. 741 or 767 and get off at "Flawil, Maestrani".
How much does it cost?
Admission is 14 CHF. However, if you have a Swiss Travel Pass or a Swiss Museum Pass, you get in for free.
Also, SBB RailAway offers special deals to people arriving by public transport. Booking a combination of your train and entrance ticket through them will give you a discount on both tickets.
4. Lindt Home of Chocolate in Kilchberg
The brand-new Lindt visitors’ centre, which carries the poetic name Home of Chocolate, opened its doors in September 2020. And it certainly lives up to its name. Walk through the main entrance and you’ll find yourself in front of the world’s tallest freestanding chocolate fountain. It is over nine metres (30 feet) tall and has roughly 1.4 tonnes of chocolate pumping through its veins.
The world's tallest freestanding chocolate fountain at Lindt pumps 1.4 tonnes of chocolate through its system.
After grabbing your ticket, passing the fountain and storing your bag and jacket in a locker, you start your tour through the history of chocolate. The museum contains several rooms explaining everything you need to know.
After the historical part, you get eased into the tasting section. If you’ve ever wanted to eat as many Lindor balls as you can or have spoonfuls of chocolate fresh from the fountain, here’s your chance to shine.
The Lindt museum guides you through the process of making chocolate
Chocolate fountains are the best!
Once you decide you’ve had enough, continue past the Lindt innovation lab, where they try out new chocolate creations. Holding on to your ticket pays off because it gives you access to a little surprise at the end of the tour. As you may have guessed, it’s chocolate-related 
If you still have it in you after the tour, go for a spin in their gigantic Lindt shop. Even if it’s just to take a look at this enormous selection and grab another sample or two.
How do you get there?
The Lindt visitors’ centre is in Kilchberg, roughly 20 minutes from Zurich main station. You can either go by bus, train or even catch the passenger ship at Bürkliplatz in Zurich.
How much does it cost?
Admission is 15 CHF, which includes an audio guide for your self-guided tour as well as heaps of tasting opportunities. They also offer guided tours and chocolate-making classes, which can be booked through their website.
Also, SBB RailAway offers special deals to people arriving by public transport. Booking a combination of your train and entrance ticket through them will give you a discount on both tickets.
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5. House of Läderach in Bilten
Dating back to 1962, Läderach is still a fairly new fish in town. But don't be fooled. Just because they haven't been around for over a century doesn't mean their skills are any less perfected.
Actually, the opposite is true. In 2018, the grandson of the company's founder won the title of world chocolate master. They know their trade.
In many ways, the Läderach creations are a lot more exquisite than your typical chocolate bar. This family business is mostly famous for their artisanal broken chocolate, which they spice up with all kinds of interesting ingredients like candied oranges, caramelised almonds, roasted hazelnuts, cashews, strawberries, pistachios and many more. You're really spoiled for choice here.
The famous Läderach chocolate comes in all variations imaginable.
Find out who provides Läderach with their cacao beans at Home of Läderach in Bilten.
Like Lindt, Läderach opened its new visitors' centre in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. They've only been welcoming guests since November 2020. It actually still smelled of fresh paint when I went to check it out 🙂
Unlike the other museums in this post, Läderach is only accessible with a guided tour. In my opinion, they do a fantastic job telling you everything about their history as well as the chocolate-making process. They even have a viewing room inside the factory, from where your guide explains what is happening in which machine.
The highlight of the visitors' centre has to be the three-part chocolate fountain – which has dark, milk and white chocolate streaming down the same fountain.
Watch the different stages of chocolate-making at the Läderach factory...
... and go crazy over their chocolate fountain.
How do you get there?
To take the Läderach tour, you need to head to Bilten in the Canton of Glarus. From Zurich, catch the train to Ziegelbrücke or Siebnen-Wangen and transfer to the Postauto bus to Bilten, Grabenstrasse.
How much does it cost?
Admission is 15 CHF.
Your ticket includes a guided tour, a ceramic souvenir spoon for the chocolate fountain, plenty of samples plus a 5 CHF voucher to cash in at the Läderach shop.
For an extra 15 CHF, you can decorate your own chocolate bar at the walk-in atelier.
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6. Aeschbach's ChocoWorld in Root
Aeschbach Chocolatier is another family business that hasn't been around for too long. They date back to 1972 and like Läderach, their creations are different from your typical supermarket chocolate.
They pride themselves on their handmade products and are famous for their delicious Bsetzistei (cobblestones). Or have you ever seen one of those golden or silver chocolate coins? Those are another Swiss childhood memory that has its origin at Aeschbach.
At ChocoWorld near Lucerne, they take you on a tour through the history of chocolate. Follow a cacao bean's journey all the way from bean to chocolate and smell, taste and learn about the manufacturing of Aeschbach's delicacies.
You also get to watch the chocolatiers doing what they do best and ask them all your burning questions. For a hands-on experience, book their ChocoWorld Plus offer and create your own Aeschbach chocolate bar.
ChocoWorld near Lucerne takes you on a journey through the history of chocolate. (Photo credit: Aeschbach)
How do you get there?
ChocoWorld is very close to Lucerne. Catch the train from Lucerne to Baar and get off at Root D4. Weird name for a train station, I know. 🙂 You'll find ChocoWorld right next to it.
How much does it cost?
Admission for the "normal" ChocoWorld is 15 CHF. To create your own 200g chocolate bar, you'll pay an extra 10 CHF.
7. Funky Chocolate Club in Interlaken
Have you ever wanted to join an all-you-can-eat chocolate workshop? Then Funky Chocolate Club is for you.
Even though this place isn't a factory with a visitors' centre like the ones we just talked about, they deserve to be mentioned in this post. Especially because they're situated in Interlaken, one of Switzerland's main tourist destinations.
Don't miss out on paying Funky Chocolate Club a visit when you're in Interlaken. (Photo credit: Funky Chocolate Club, Interlaken)
If you're in the area, don't leave without paying their beautiful store a visit or joining one of their legendary chocolate-making classes.
Funky Chocolate Club offers several daily workshops, where you get to create your own masterpiece and learn how to taste chocolate like a pro. At the end of this one-hour class, you get to walk away with 4oog of your own handmade chocolate.
To book your spot at Funky Chocolate Club, head to their website.
My best friend and I giving our all at tempering chocolate...
The result of our one-hour chocolate making class.
How do you get there?
Funky Chocolate Club is conveniently located in the centre of Interlaken.
How much does it cost?
Joining a workshop costs 69 CHF. This includes an action-packed one-hour class and 400g of your own chocolate to take with you.
What about Toblerone?
You're probably wondering why I mentioned Toblerone in the beginning of this post but failed to tell you about their factory. After all, they're a huge player in the Swiss chocolate scene and, internationally speaking, one of our biggest names.
I'm sorry to disappoint you, but looking into the Toblerone production is not possible. This means you'll have to stick with buying these triangular chocolate bars at pretty much every supermarket or airport in the world.
Unlike many other chocolate producers, Toblerone is completely closed off to the public.
I hope this post has given you an idea about which Swiss chocolate factories you can visit while you're here. And which brands to try when you find yourself in front of a chocolate shelf at the supermarket, overwhelmed by the many choices. 🙂
Next time you wake up to a cold and rainy day, you have the perfect excuse to skip breakfast and hit the factory for some delicious Swiss chocolate.
My mouth is literally watering while reading this post! I love it! As a huge chocolate lover, I now have the perfect guide for my chocolate addiction! I can’t wait to head to Switzerland to visit each and every place!
Thank you Chelsey 🙂 And have fun checking out all the chocolate places when you come to Switzerland.
Hello Seraina,
When I was young, I remember the smell of chocolate at the Suchard factory in Serrières, beside the city of Neuchâtel, but that site has been closed for quite a while. You mentioned the Frey brand which we find in the Migros stores, and I was wondering if you have investigated the MaxHavelaar chocolate that we can buy in the Coop stores. I have my favourites (the Crémant and the Orange ones) and these are produced at the Halba factory near Zurich. Here is an interesting video about Chocolats Halba. https://youtu.be/kyVe7ngAByU I looked at the company website but could not find anything about visits. Nevertheless, their chocolate is delicious and is Fairtrade.
Hi Peter,
Thank you so much for your comment. Actually, I didn‘t research the Max Havelaar chocolate. I only went for the brands that have a visitors‘ centre so people can go see and taste something. But I just went to Chocolarium again yesterday, and Maestrani chocolate is also fairtrade.
Good taste! Orange chocolate is also among my favourites. Have you tried the Lindt orange chocolate? It‘s so delicious…
Thanks again for your comment and sorry it‘s taken me so long to reply!
Is there any chocolate company in Switzerland that accommodates those with allergies to tree nuts (all nuts except peanuts)? Or partially does so? Some in the US accommodate with their dark chocolate products.
Dear Alice
Absolutely, every Swiss chocolate company offers chocolate with and without nuts. The variety of chocolate in any Swiss supermarket is so big here that you will definitely find something you‘re not allergic to.
Hi , I am allergic to milk . It’s the cow protein that bothers me. If you use milk powder how is that made and does it have cow protein that I am allergic to. Denise
Dear Denise
I‘m afraid if you‘re allergic to cow milk, milk powder won‘t be any good for you either as that‘s basically just dehydrated milk.
Toblerone is owned by Philip Morris…..
Thanks for sharing this delicious & mouth-watering article especially the ways that you have covered to reach there. I checked-out some of these places during my trip to Switzerland with the family and kids. The experience was awesome!!!
I’m happy you enjoyed the Swiss chocolate factories. After all, what’s not to love about them, right? 🙂
Also a very good Swiss authentic chocolate in CIMANORMA 🍫
My family and friends since we have discovered, it is the only chocolate we like ❤️️and the ingredients used are all organic and bio 🍃
Thank you for sharing such a fantastic blog!
Best regards,
Dinesen Hessellund
You‘re very welcome 🙂
Hello there Seraina!
As a Swiss living abroad and working in the travel industry, I was very interested to find your site.
I was a bit surprised that your article on Chocolate Factories had missed another notable, albeit more modern example: Alprose.
I had visited some 25 years ago and was uncertain if they were still around and open to visitors. I was pleased to learn that they are:
https://alprose.ch/en/chocolate-experience/
Another reason to enjoy the Ticino!
Hopefully this helps support your site and may help me when we can resume traveling with greater freedom.
All the best,
Mark
Dear Mark
Thank you so much for your comment and for your tip about Alprose. This will definitely help my site. I’ve personally never been there but I’ve just put it on my list. Next time I go to Ticino, I’ll definitely check them out and update this post.
All the best to you, too.
Seraina
I saw this comment and I just visit Alprose factory today. It is pretty small and they don't explain much about the history and about chocolate. The degustation is also poor (5 types to try). I preferred Lindt, Maison Cailler and Chocolarium.