A chocolate lover’s paradise, Geneva’s Choco Pass allows visitors to indulge in some of the world’s best chocolate while discovering its beautiful city center.
When many people think of Geneva, Switzerland, they think of high quality, richly flavored chocolates that make all others pale in comparison. In fact, almost all of the foundations of chocolate originated in Switzerland, turning those vibrant beans into the luscious treat known all over the world today.
Chocolate, or unsweetened cacao, was originally sold in the 1800s in Swiss drug stores, as it was thought to be a type of elixir to cure things such as fevers and stomach issues, and even help aid in digestion. It was an expensive drink, however. One pound of chocolate could sell for up to 40 cents. While that doesn’t seem like a steep price overall, today that would be around $12!
By 1806, Vevey, Switzerland, which is about an hour from Geneva, had seven different chocolate factories specializing in the confection, which quickly established the region as the epicenter of chocolate.
Up until this point, though, bar chocolate wasn’t quite what it is today. The chocolate during that time was dry, brittle, and very grainy, leaving a lot to be desired by its consumers.
It wasn’t until the end of the 1800s when Swiss chocolatier Daniel Peter was credited with creating the first milk chocolate bar. Using powdered milk in his recipe, which was an ingredient concocted by his famous neighbor, Henri Nestlé, Peter was able to create a smoother and creamier bar more akin to the chocolate we enjoy today.
Another chocolate innovation was soon introduced by a man by the name of Philippe Suchard. Wanting to lessen the grittiness of the final product, Suchard used hydropower to heat and move granite plates and rollers, aiding in the grinding of the cocoa paste into a finer consistency than others were able to achieve at that time. He called the contraption the melanger, which means to blend or mix in French, and this tool is still used today in chocolate production.
But the biggest contribution to chocolate came in 1879 when famed chocolatier Rodolphe Lindt created the chocolate-making method called “conching.” It is said that Lindt discovered the process by accident, by leaving a mixer running over the course of a few hours (or a few days, depending on which version of the story is true). When Lindt returned, he found the chocolate to have even less of a gritty texture, a much shinier consistency, and increased meltability. By essentially “over mixing” the chocolate, Lindt had found a way to rid the mixture of the cocoa butter crystals known for giving chocolate its gritty component, and virtually changed the whole industry of chocolate with his accidental discovery.
The Geneva Choco Pass
If you’re looking to find out what all the fuss is about Swiss chocolate for yourself, look no further than the Choco Pass, which is the perfect way to explore Geneva by foot, while learning a little about its sweet history along the way.
The pass comes in two forms; one for adults, and one for children, with the adult pass costing 30 CHF (around $35), and the kid pass costing 6 CHF (around $7). We personally bought one pass for two adults, and left with enough chocolate to last us two weeks—but if you’re really a chocolate lover, you should definitely get a pass for each person in your group.
Passes can be purchased online or at the Geneva tourist office, which is located in the Cornavin train station. Your pass is activated as soon as it is scanned at the first chocolate shop. From the moment the pass is scanned, you have 24 hours to complete the tour before it expires. However, this does mean you could buy your pass in advance and start the tour whenever is most convenient for you during your visit to Geneva.
If something comes up and you are unable to use your pass during your stay, it will expire one year from when you purchased it, giving you plenty of time to return and indulge in the city’s famous sweets.
Which Chocolate Shops Participate in the Choco Pass?
Sweetzerland
This was the first shop we stopped at on our tour, and it left quite a first impression. You definitely get the sense of lavishness and grandeur when walking into Sweetzerland’s shop; with its crisp white lines and artfully displayed chocolates, it almost feels as though you are walking into an art gallery. One of only a few certified organic shops on the tour, Sweetzerland is known for making its chocolates without preservatives, and using locally sourced ingredients when applicable.
Sourcing their Grand Cru Cocoa from all over the globe, Sweetzerland imports their chocolate from places like Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela, Madagascar, Cameroon, and Indonesia.
For this store, your Choco Pass includes the following chocolates: Caramel Truffle, Hazelnut Rocher, Raspberry Truffle, Almond Dragées, and Cashew Nut Petals.
Canonica
Founded in 1968 by André Canonica, this little shop was our second stop on the tour. Coming from the open and airy, high-end feel of our first stop, Canonica’s chocolate-colored exterior and dark-wood interior gave the sense of a warm and homey, family-run shop. The company first started out in 1948 with restaurants, but shifted just a few decades later to the family’s real passion, chocolate.
Sourcing their beans mainly from Madagascar and South America, the case at Canonica looked as if it were filled with gems more so than chocolate, each bonbon enrobed in a more vibrant shade of color than the last.
This was one of the few shops that let you choose which chocolates made up your chocolate plate for the Choco Pass. Nothing was off limits and visitors could choose from a variety of creative flavors such as rose milk chocolate, raspberry-sesame seed, or earl gray tea, alongside favorites like milk chocolate feuilletine.
Guillaume Bichet
Known as the contemporary chocolatier, Guillaume Bichet is one of the newcomers on the Geneva chocolate scene, having only opened its doors in 2011. This was our third stop on the chocolate tour, and the space had the feeling of stepping into a couture establishment. Drawing inspiration from the chocolates and pastries he loved as a child, Guillaume’s goal is to take these iconic sweets and give them a modern spin.
As soon as you open the front door, you will find yourself immediately drawn to a large, glass display of their most famous treat, the Princess almonds.
The almonds begin by being roasted and then caramelized, giving them their renowned crunch, before being covered in a layer of chocolate.
The tasting plate for Guillaume Bichet includes 5 chocolates, a caramel sphere, and, of course, a beautiful Princess almond.
Martel
Martel Chocolatier first came into existence under pastry chef Louis Nyffenegger in 1818. The shop was then taken over by Jules Martel, a friend of Louis’ who changed the shop’s name to Maison Martel in 1860. While the shop gained notoriety for supplying sweets to the most prestigious members of the bourgeoisie, it wasn’t until 1968 that chocolate was added to the plethora of goodies offered.
Using only the best Swiss milk and sugar, and special Catongo cocoa beans from Brazil, Maison Martel’s chocolate is known to be just as decadent as their beautiful pastries.
When walking into the space, it was clear that this was, in fact, a pastry shop first, and a chocolate shop second, as the space doubled as a bustling café where eager patrons were lined up to get a table and order something sweet. Don’t let that fool you, though. The chocolate was absolutely elevated and excellent.
Your pass includes: milk truffle, rocher, Princess almond, and dreamy ganaches. It also includes their famous pavé de carouge, a mix of grand cru cocoa and Swiss milk chocolate blended with a hint of coffee and covered in raw powdered cocoa.
Favarger
The origin of Favarger Chocolatier is a sweet one, no pun intended. When watchmaker Jean-Samuel Favarger fell in love with the daughter of a chocolatier, he found himself leaving behind his beloved atelier to join the family business that was founded by his father-in-law, Jacques Foulquier, in 1826. A few years later in 1845, Jean-Samuel found himself in charge of the company, and in search of a water source with a strong current. This led him to purchase a mill in Versoix, where the factory is still located over 100 years later.
Now, seven generations later, the Favarger family has one of the few chocolate shops which complete the chocolate-making process from start to finish at their Versoix location. From picking the finest beans, to the roasting, grinding, and finally blending, Favarger’s chocolate’s personal touch shines through in every bite.
When visiting the store, the employees will insist that you try samples of their avelines, or milk chocolate covered almonds and gianduja hazelnuts. They will also give out samples of the nougalines, made from delicious praline paste wrapped in a crunchy nougatine exterior, then enrobed in a layer of milk chocolate. This is an absolute must! We ended up walking away with double what our Choco Pass was worth in nougalines alone, and they were the only chocolate we bought the whole tour. They are not to be missed, and are their staple product for a reason.
This is one of the places where you can actually pick what you’d like your Choco Pass plate to be.
Zeller
Mr. and Mrs. Zeller created Zeller Chocolates in 1959. The company was run by the husband and wife team for decades, before being left in the hands of three of its shareholders, who continue to produce chocolates under the Zeller name, despite no relation to the family. Two of the holders are sisters (one working as a chocolate maker for the company, and the other in their marketing department), and the third holder is another chocolatier at the shop.
Since the passing of the Zellers, the trio of new owners have expanded to having three shops, but have still kept the business small and personal, only hiring their relatives to work alongside them and keep the shop alive. This shop has a very mom-and-pop feel to it, which you can sense when you first walk in. The space feels charming, cozy, and a bit whimsical, due to Zeller’s iconic chocolates shaped into different animals and objects.
Your Choco Pass bag includes: princess almonds, a praline nougatine, and a candied orange dipped in chocolate. It also includes a sample of their florentines, disk-shaped candies made of nuts, dried fruits mixed with melted sugar, butter, and honey. Once baked, the bottoms are dipped in chocolate.
La Bonbonnière
Opened in 1921, La Bonbonnière was first known as “Confiserie WERDER.” By the end of the war, however, the business was purchased by Madame Bischof, the creator of the “La Bonbonnière” namesake.
Nowadays, the chocolate shop is run by Yvan Loubet and Cédric Rahm, who both worked as chocolatiers at La Bonbonnière for 15 years, before taking the leap and purchasing the business together in 2017. The duo’s goal was to bring a certain modernity to the chocolate scene in Geneva, adding a tea room named Le Patio, the École du Chocolate, and, of course, La Bar à Chocolate, a truly unique destination for hot chocolate.
While your stop at La Bonbonnière does include a cup of the frothy, rich drink with your Choco Pass, connoisseurs may choose to pull up a chair and indulge in the shop’s extensive hot chocolate menu, breaking the coco beans down to region and tasting notes. When we visited, many families were poring over their extensive drinking chocolate menu, served hot or cold, carefully studying each choice’s undertones and aromas.
What to become a chocolatier for a day? Sign up for L’École du Chocolate, or The Chocolate School, and learn how to temper chocolate and create different delicacies under the watchful eye of a master chocolatier.
Your Choco Pass Plate comes with a hot chocolate and a small sleeve of rotating, seasonal chocolates.
Du Rhône Chocolatier
Known as one of the oldest chocolate producers in Geneva, Du Rhône gets its name from its original location, Rue Du Rhône. It is on this street that founder Mr. Pertuiset opened in the year 1875 what was considered a haute chocolaterie, using only the best ingredients and purest beans.
The shop quickly found its niche product, the praline. As legend has it, shortly after the store’s opening, demand for their pralines were so high, that horse-drawn carriages lined the street, unwilling to move on until they got a taste of this special treat.
The shop is now known to exclusively source its cocoa beans from the islands of São Tomé and Príncipe, both known for their high quality and rich flavor.
When we visited, the chocolatier fulfilling the Choco Passes that day asked if we could wait a few extra moments so he could properly tell us the ins and outs of the products we were receiving. His passion about the chocolate making process was infectious, and we definitely found ourselves taking extra time trying to taste the notes he so lovingly described.
Your Choco Pass plate comes with: 6 different chocolates, featuring milk and dark chocolate and pralines.
Tips for Using the Geneva Choco Pass
- The kid passes get different items when scanned at each location that are more kid-friendly, so don’t worry about the experience being too elevated for their little palates.
- Driving in Geneva is a bit crazy, and parking is even more problematic. Because of this, I would suggest doing the tour by foot. The shops are not clustered around each other, but it makes for a nice stroll through the city, and a relaxing exploration of different sections of town.
- We completed the whole tour and it took about 2 ½ hours, but we took our time and went into other shops along the way.
- The chocolate shops are small, and so the pass is NOT designed for groups. Most shops will only allow up to 8 people in the store at once.
- There are no refunds for the pass, so make sure you are able to use it before purchasing.
