While some vacationers lie on the beach and others conquer the mountains and impassable jungles, “chocolate addicts” go on a journey to enjoy their favorite sweets, especially for them today we will talk about the most “chocolate” places on the planet.
Barcelona, Spain
Christopher Columbus brought many exotic gifts, and among others were cocoa beans, which literally drove all of Europe crazy. The first country where they were tested was, of course, Spain. Chocolate still remains an important part of Spanish culture: on Sundays, many families drink hot chocolate for breakfast, dipping in it deep-fried long-fried donuts – churros. If you’re in Barcelona, be sure to visit the Chocolate Museum, book a chocolate massage at the Gran Hotel Balneario Blancafort, and check out one of the many shops filled with chocolates.
Brussels, Belgium
If there are more than 2,000 chocolate shops, 16 chocolate museums, and 12 factories in a country of only 10 million people, it is clear that chocolate is a real passion there. And the capital of this chocolate empire is Brussels, where the headquarters of Mary Chocolatier, Neuhaus, Leonidas, and Godiva are located. The chocolate spirit hovers over the city. Walking through its streets, you will constantly feel the aroma of chocolate and, of course, do not hold back, so as not to buy a suitcase of praline boxes. But be careful: chocolate in this country is quite expensive, and you will not notice how you run out of money!
Zurich, Switzerland
In fact, the whole of Switzerland is a dream come true for a “chocolate addict”. This country produces such popular brands as Toblerone, Lindt, Nestle, and Sprungli, and the Swiss eat more chocolate than people in any other country in the world. But Zurich is a real chocolate capital. At every corner you will definitely meet the coveted shop or confectionery, you are waiting for a tour of the many factories, where you not only watch the workers but, perhaps, and try to create a small chocolate work of art.
Cologne, Germany
Someone comes to ancient Cologne through the famous cathedral or for business, but we recommend you go there for chocolate! This city is home to one of the most interesting chocolate museums. More than two thousand various exhibits are collected on a huge area under one roof. Once in this chocolate country, you will learn about three millennia of the history of this amazing product. And, of course, leaving the exhibition, you will immediately go to one of the shops – there are many of them in Cologne.
Turin, Italy
In the country of hedonists and sybarites are able not only to prepare wonderful pasta and risotto, bake pizza and make fragrant coffee but also to make quality chocolate. For example, in the city of Turin, there are more chocolate sellers than in the famous chocolate country – Belgium. And in the middle of spring in this city CioccolaT ^ – the two-week chocolate festival is spent. More than 700,000 visitors come to it every year to try the creations of local chocolates – the Turin specialty Gianduiotto.
Burnsville, United Kingdom
Usually, chocolate lovers do not pay attention to the UK at all, but in vain! The real find for the “chocolate addicts” is the tiny town of Burnsville in southern Birmingham. Cadbury, one of the world’s most popular chocolate brands, was born there. Arriving in this place, you will find entertainment for the whole day: you will find Cadbury World – a whole chocolate country, where you will learn all about the origin and manufacture of your favorite delicacy. After you take a short training course, you will be trusted to create your own chocolate!
Oaxaca, Mexico
The main chocolate address of Latin America is the Mexican city of Oaxaca. The smell of sweets wafts over its streets: chocolate and lollipops, the sound of working mills, where cocoa beans are crushed, can be heard everywhere. It is believed that this is where the first chocolate cafes appeared. Guests of the city will be invited to visit one of the factories, take part in a master class on chocolate cooking and taste countless different types of chocolate with such additives that you did not even suspect.
Hershey, USA
The sweetest place on the North American continent is undoubtedly in the town of Hershey, whose name in the United States has become synonymous with chocolate. Once at the exhibition Hershey’s Chocolate World, you will touch the real mystery: you will see how beans become chocolate. You will walk around the chocolate world and inhale the wonderful exciting aromas, and at the end of the tour, each guest will taste the best varieties. And don’t forget to bring a bigger bag: you won’t go without sweet souvenirs! But that’s not all! Book a room at Hotel Hershey’s Chocolate Spa, which offers a wonderful 3.5-hour spa program: first, immerse your body in a bath with cocoa beans, then treat it with a fragrant chocolate scrub, and end with a chocolate massage.
Fremantle, Australia
If fate has brought you to Australia, do not despair: on a distant “green” continent you will not leave here without your favorite treats! In the city of Fremantle in Western Australia is the most famous Australian chocolate factory of the same name, which produces more than three hundred different varieties of chocolate. If you not only want to try sweets but also learn how to make them, you can walk through a special glass gallery located above the shops.
Sapporo, Japan
A wonderful souvenir from Japan can be a wonderful white chocolate Shira Koybito – one of the most popular brands of sweets in this country. It is best to buy it on the island of Hokkaido, where this factory is located near the city of Sapporo. Be sure to buy a tour of this business and see how they make this amazing sweetness, and then relax in the Chocolate Lounge and try one of the exclusive drinks from this chocolate.
