Chocolat Villars factory building with transformer station and steam engine, Chocolate factory and steam engine in Fribourg, Switzerland
Chocolat Villars is an industrial complex built in 1901 in Fribourg with a transformer station and an original steam engine. The facility shows how early chocolate makers organized production spaces, combining manufacturing areas with equipment rooms and technical installations all within connected structures.
The factory opened in 1901, designed by architect Frédéric Broillet, and became known for introducing two weeks of paid leave for workers in 1915. This worker benefit was groundbreaking for Swiss employers of that era.
The building reflects architect Frédéric Broillet's design philosophy and the values of early industrial Switzerland. Walking through the space, you notice how carefully the structures were planned to balance production needs with the working environment of the time.
The facility sits along Route de la Fonderie and remains easy to locate, with a small shop on site selling chocolate made in the factory. The space still functions as a working production area, so visiting conditions and access may vary depending on operations.
The steam engine housed inside remains functional and demonstrates the raw mechanical power that once drove the chocolate production equipment. This working system gives visitors a tangible sense of how factories operated more than a century ago.
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