Switzerland is set to open a £375 million chocolate-themed tourist attraction at the Cailler chocolate factory in Broc, with the first phase expected to open by 2030, subject to planning permission.
The project, with a budget of 400 million Swiss francs, aims to preserve the site's 'strong identity' while modernising and developing its cultural and tourist uses. The Broc factory is the oldest operating chocolate factory in the world and is recognised in Switzerland’s Federal Inventory of Heritage Sites.
Visitors will be taken on a journey through the cultivation of cocoa trees and Gruyere milk, with attractions including the factory’s former mechanical workshops, a reconstructed production line, a new gallery, and cocoa bean-shaped greenhouses. The grand finale will be the Chocolate Emporium, where guests can sample the Cailler range.
The current Maison Callier museum will be demolished to make way for a smaller building with a restored Neo-Renaissance facade, and the factory’s forecourt will be lowered to its original level. Cooking workshops led by master chocolatiers will also be offered.
Developers aim to welcome up to one million visitors annually. To manage traffic, direct rail connections from Bern to the Broc-Chocolaterie stop are planned, along with a cable lift connecting the park to an off-site underground parking garage.
The project officially launched four years ago, with preliminary review procedures initiated at the end of 2023. The municipality of Broc has now submitted the Cailler Chocolate Park project for public consultation, requiring an amendment to the Local Development Plan and ten building permit applications to proceed.
