When in Geneva, indulge in a Choco Pass
Sep 30, 2024
Choco Pass

In Geneva, a Choco Pass will get you samples of chocolates from many of the city’s finest shops. Pam LeBlanc photo

I never really cared much about chocolate. But Geneva is known for its master chocolatiers – more than 30 of them, and that’s not counting your run-of-the-mill shop that sells what other companies make – so I decided to indulge.

For about $45 US, visitors can purchase a Choco Pass, which gets you a sampling of chocolates from as many of the 10 participating shops as you can visit in a 24-hour-period.

My husband loves chocolate, so when rain foiled our plans to go biking and whitewater rafting, he mapped out a route that would take us by six of the shops.

We dipped into the first one, an entire bustling café called Martel filed with chocolate lovers, expecting to be handed a tiny piece of chocolate. But when we showed our pass, the clerk pulled out a small cellophane bag and used silver tongs to carefully select five fancy pieces from a glass case containing an array of hand-made chocolates.

Read more: Visit one of the West’s best-preserved ghost towns in Garnet, Montana

I popped a truffle into my mouth. It melted like butter on my tongue. My enthusiasm to visit as many shops as possible surged.

Over the next hour we sought out shop after shop, where we tasted passionfruit chocolates, chocolates with hazelnuts, chocolate-covered nuts, fruit-filled chocolates, little cups of hot chocolate and more. Among our favorites? Sweetzerland, Chocolaterie Canonica and Charlie Ganache.

The passes are available online or at the Tourist Information Centre, Place de Cornavin 7, 1211 Genève. The voucher is valid for 1 year from the date of booking and is automatically activated for a period of 24 hours after your first tasting. (Bonus: 1 CHF from each Choco Pass is donated to MyClimate “Cause We Care” for climate protection and sustainable tourism in Switzerland.)

For more information go here.

 

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