Switzerland is set to open a £375 million chocolate-themed tourist park in Broc, with the first phase expected to launch by 2030. The attraction, called the Cailler Chocolate Park, aims to promote the cultural and industrial heritage of the Cailler chocolate factory, the oldest operating chocolate factory in the world.
The park will feature the factory's former mechanical workshops, a reconstructed production line, a new gallery, and cocoa bean-shaped greenhouses. Visitors will be taken on a journey through the cultivation of cocoa trees and Gruyère milk, culminating in a tasting experience at the Chocolate Emporium.
The project has a budget of 400 million Swiss francs and is subject to planning permission. Developers hope to attract up to one million visitors annually. The current Maison Cailler museum will be demolished to make way for a smaller building with a restored Neo-Renaissance facade, and the factory forecourt will be lowered to its original level.
Cooking workshops led by master chocolatiers will be held on site. The project officially launched four years ago, with preliminary review procedures starting at the end of 2023. The municipality of Broc has now submitted the plan for public consultation, requiring an amendment to the Local Development Plan and ten building permit applications.
To manage visitor 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 site is recognised in Switzerland's Federal Inventory of Heritage Sites (ISOS).
