Swiss Chocolate Train

From spring through fall, an excursion train will take you from Montreux, Switzerland to the Cailler-Nestlé chocolate factory at Broc, with a stop at the medieval cheesemaking town of Gruyère.

Chocolate train photo

ABOVE: The Chocolate Train offers a choice of vintage Pullman cars (above) or modern panorama cars.

By Durant Imboden

Switzerland is famous for its chocolate and its railroads. Put them together, and you get The Chocolate Train--an excursion train that operates from Montreux from spring through fall.

The train departs Montreux each Wednesday, with an additional train on Mondays in July and August. It runs on tracks of the Montreux-Oberland-Bernois Railway (MOB). Coffee and croissants are served on the train, which offers scenic views of vineyards and bucolic countryside on its way to the medieval cheesemaking town of Gruyères.

In Gruyères, the train pauses for an excursion by bus to a cheese factory and the local castle. You'll reboard the train for the trip to Broc, home of the Cailler-Nestlé chocolate factory, where you can watch a multilingual video, observe chocolate production, sample the finished product, and buy Cailler or Nestlé candy bars at factory prices.

The train then returns to Montreux, a pleasant resort town on Lac Léman where you can also visit the Castle of Chillon.

Gruyères photo

ABOVE: The Swiss Chocolate Train stops in Gruyères for cheese on its way to the Cailler-Nestlé chocolate factory at Broc.

Related resources

The Chocolate Train
This excursion train for chocolate fans is one of several "GoldenPass" trains of MOB.

Chocolate Museums of Europe europeforvisitors.com
Find other chocolate experiences in Europe, including several in Switzerland.

Emmentaler and Gruyère Cheese europeforvisitors.com
If you think "Swiss cheese" is a pale rubbery substance in a plastic packet, it's time to sample the real thing--preferably at the source.

About the author:

Durant Imboden photo. Durant Imboden is a professional travel writer, book author, and editor who focuses on European cities and transportation.

After 4-1/2 years of covering European travel topics for About.com, Durant and Cheryl Imboden co-founded Europe for Visitors in 2001. The site has earned "Best of the Web" honors from Forbes and The Washington Post.

For more information, see About Europe for Visitors, press clippings, and reader testimonials.

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