[Vidhi_J]

12 June 2018 at 9:38:07 #816596

Hi again!

Third day in Switzerland and my whole family is loving it! We’re currently staying at Zurich and we’ll be checking out tomorrow to catch the 6.25pm Golden Pass Express from Zweisimmen in the evening. Before that, I had originally planned to do the Broc chocolate factory tour tomorrow before catching the Golden Pass train but we would’ve had to lug around all our luggage with us. I recently came across the option of Flawil chocolate factory which is just an hour away from Zurich. So if I visit it instead of the Broc factory, then it’ll save time and we won’t have to carry our luggage around. So what I want to know is:

1. Will I be losing out on something if I do Flawil factory instead of Broc one? We’ve already bought one batch of chocolates from Lindt Heaven at Jungfraujoch.

2. What are the charges and duration of the Flawil factory tour? Can’t seem to locate the info online.

3. Can I add some other interesting village or attraction in that area to the Flawil factory excursion considering I’ve to reach Zweisimmen (from Zurich) in time for the 6.25 pm Golden Pass departure? Condition being that the route should be covered by Eurail Pass.

Thanks in advance 🙂

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[Removed user]

12 June 2018 at 13:06:44 #888095

Hi Vidhi J,

1. I haven’t been to either unfortunately. They both look fun though!
2. The website is here for the Maestrani chocolate factory in Flawil: http://www.maestrani.c h/en/
3. I’d head to St. Gallen for a couple hours. Read about my trip there here: https://www.myswissalp s.com/forum/topic/st-gallen-voralpen-express-from-zurich
   Then take the Voralpen Express to Luzern and on to Zweisimmen (either following the whole Golden Pass route if you have time or take a train via Bern to get to Zweisimmen quicker.

[Arno]

13 June 2018 at 7:32:20 #888096

The one in Broc is very nice. I haven’t visited the other one, but I wouldn’t hesitate if that’s much easier to fit in your plans. It looks interesting too.

There are luggage services by the way, so no need to travel with it. But the quickest services do need to be booked in advance: http://www.myswissalps.com/tr ain/practical/luggage.

[Vidhi_J]

27 June 2018 at 8:04:34 #888097

Hi guys! Thanks a lot for your advice and suggestions. I finally went for the Flawil chocolate factory. It was great fun. Actually I had already looked at the Maestrani website before starting this thread but it didn’t give any details about the factory tour like price and duration. After more research I found that those details are mentioned here instead: http://www.chocolarium.ch/en/

It’s officially a 1-hour tour but if you want to do it properly and leisurely while experiencing all the interactive elements then it can even take up to 2 hours. We really got lost in the experience and almost missed our train from Zurich as a result! Tip: You get a discount on your purchase at the factory chocolate shop if you buy tickets online from the link I gave above.

Unfortunately, we could not combine the excursion with a trip to any other village/town/scenic train in that area as we woke up late because the previous 2-3 days had been quite hectic. But the town of Flawil itself was quite pretty. The houses were quite distinctive and constantly reminded me of colourful icecream cones with their crisscross wall texture and colourful exteriors. The chocolarium is a half-hour walk from the station through the pretty country lanes of Flawil and the walk is definitely worth it. I checked out the write-up about your St. Gallen + Voralpen Express trip, Lucas. And it seemed amazing. Maybe next time, I’d do that.

P.S. The train from Zurich to Flawil (direction St. Gallen) is also a Tilting train. Maybe it’s a common thing in Switzerland and other First World nations but I had never heard of a tilting train in my life. And it is definitely worth doing. It literally tilts like a speeding bike around bends in bike racing events. Around the bends on the rolling green hills of that area, the train tilts this way and that and the whole scenery becomes topsy turvy. Worth experiencing if you’ve never done it before.

[Removed user]

27 June 2018 at 10:53:47 #888098

Hi Vidhi,

Thanks for the tips! Great to know a bit more about the chocolate factory at Flawil. 🙂
Tilting trains are not uncommon in Switzerland -a nice experience for train fans.

[andrew]

29 June 2018 at 23:02:15 #888099

This is very much a personal opinion but, unlike Lucas, unfortunately I have been to the chocolate factory at Broc. The varied-route journey to and from Broc was interesting but the place itself was a disappointment and is really little more than an opportunity to be sold expensive chocolates … even if they are rather nice chocolates …. some of them …. and we bought only a tiny amount. Flawil sounds better. For comparison, has anyone been to both?

Not far away from Broc is the Stained Glass Museum at Romont. It doesn’t look much at first but there is some fascinating stuff. I recommend it.

http://www.vitromusee.ch/en/d iscover/the-castle.html

Andrew

PS There’s a shop at the Glass Museum too.

PPS I do like chocolate. Really.

[Removed user]

30 June 2018 at 8:10:54 #888100

Thanks Andrew for the comments on Broc – sometimes, some places can get a bit too touristy over the years.

The key in Switzerland is to buy chocolate, where ever you find it. 🙂

[Vidhi_J]

5 July 2018 at 13:12:49 #888101

This might help: http://www.newlyswissed.com/t he-chocolarium-is-a-real-life-chocolate-factory/