Maison Cailler

Francois-Louis Cailler set up one of the first Swiss chocolate factories in 1819, and the family line runs directly into the invention that defined the industry: his son-in-law Daniel Peter, working with condensed milk supplied by his neighbour Henri Nestle, produced the first successful milk chocolate in 1875 - a Swiss achievement that depended on solving how to combine milk and cocoa without spoilage. The Broc factory, opened in 1898, still produces, and its visitor route covers the cocoa chain, the history and a viewing point over part of the line, ending in a tasting room where visitors help themselves. The surrounding Gruyere pastures supplied the milk that made the local advantage real.

What you actually see

• The milk chocolate line - Cailler to Peter to Nestle, and the 1875 invention.
• A factory working since 1898 - production alongside the visitor route.
• A viewing point over the line - part of the process visible.
• A self-service tasting room - the end of the tour.

When to go

All year. Half a day.

Honest expectations

Entry runs on timed slots that fill in school holidays. It is a company attraction, brand-forward throughout, and aimed at families. Only a portion of the plant is visible. The branch railway to Broc is infrequent.

Nearby

Gruyeres and its castle are a few kilometres away; Charmey is up the valley.