The One Thing All Swiss People Are Proud Of

So, you’ve just sat down to dinner with your new Swiss friends and the conversation turns to that famous export of the Alpine nation: chocolate. Ah, you say in a fit of worldliness, but you should try some Godiva, one of Belgium’s best brands. The conversation quickly turns sour and your new Swiss friends become as cold and distant as the tip of the Mont Blanc. Oops, you’ve just twinged the Swiss chocolate pride.

Now, the reaction to slighting Swiss chocolate probably won’t be this bad. But if you step on the wrong toes and insinuate that Hershey’s or Cadbury or any other mass produced, non-luxury, brand of chocolate is mightier than the likes of Lindt, Läderach, Cailler, or Favarger, then you’ll be in for a detailed explanation of why you are wrong.

To understand why the Swiss are so proud of their chocolate, you have to understand that most of the fine, rich and smooth chocolate we know is thanks to Swiss ingenuity, along with a bit of luck besides.

Swiss chocolate is a source of national pride

Chocolate is up there with Switzerland’s finest creations, alongside tax evaders, holey cheese, yodelling and women called Heidi. After all, the Swiss gave us the first milk chocolate, they perfected the chocolate making processes, turning undesirable lumps of cacao into edible wonderfulness, and they even recently cooked up a brand new ‘ruby’ chocolate.

Yes, the Swiss have been at the forefront of our favourite guilty pleasure for decades and the slightest hint that you favour another country’s chocolate, particularly Belgium’s for some reason, is a sure way to find yourself uninvited from a fondue, or yodelling, party. Darn it!

The Swiss are proud of many things; such as the beauty of their country, their domination of bobsleighing at the winter Olympics and, of course, Roger Federer, the nation’s poster boy. But you certainly won’t find more pride than that which flows smooth and strong through every Swiss, like, well, a river of chocolate.

Fondue and chocolate, two epic Swiss traditions that often collide

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.