10 tempting chocolate museums around the world
As if we needed another reason to eat a sweet treat or two... Today marks World Chocolate Day. To celebrate, we suggest you visit these tempting destinations
1. Cadbury World, Birmingham, England
Cadbury World, south of Birmingham, tells the story of the Cadbury family and their chocolate business, from the first Easter egg to the construction of the Bournville garden village for factory workers. You'll be happy to hear there are plenty of free samples along the way.
2. Maison Cailler, Broc, Switzerland
With the highest per capita consumption of chocolate in the world, it’s no surprise that Switzerland is on our list. There are heaps of chocolate factories open to visitors, including Maison Cailler in Broc, Gruyère, where you can discover how the good stuff is made. They even offer courses for budding chocolatiers. Where do we sign up?
3. Choco-Story, Bruges, Belgium
No visit to Bruges is complete without sampling a praline - or eight - of the finest Belgian chocolate. Choco-Story caters to visitors in need of a bit of culture to accompany their daily fix of something chocolatey; it details the history of chocolate without overlooking the importance of tasting. It occupies a historic building on the corner of Sint-Jansplein.
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4 Cologne Chocolate Museum, Germany
Cologne is home to the largest chocolate museum in the world, which sits in an enviable position on the Rhine's left bank, near the city's famous cathedral. Access is via a revolving bridge, adding a slight Willy Wonka surrealism to the place. A tour of this museum will take you through 3,000 years of luxurious, chocolatey history.
5. Hershey's Chocolate World, Pennsylvania, USA
You can't escape Hershey's chocolate in the USA and Hershey's Chocolate World is sure to sate the appetite of the company's biggest fans, particularly children. Tour the factory and meet the Hershey's 'characters' on a day out to this entertaining Pennsylvania landmark.
6. Museo de Chocolate, Havana, Cuba
Really a cafe with displays related to chocolate-making and (our favourite) consumption, this 'museum' serves cups of delicious, thick, pure chocolate. Lining up in temperatures of 35 degrees Celsius to drink cups of hot chocolate in an air-conditioned interior may seem odd, but it's worth it.
7. Museu de la Xocolata, Barcelona, Spain
If you like chocolate, Barcelona is the place for you. You can drink xocolata desfeta, chocolate thick enough to stand a spoon up in (great for dipping churros into), see fantastic festive creations and eat unusual dishes such as chocolate with rabbit or squid. To find out how Barcelona's love affair with chocolate began, visit the Museu de la Xocolata, which has some fantastically elaborate chocolate models on display.
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Photo by momo, courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons
8. Choco-Story Chocolate Museum, Prague, Czech Republic
This pretty Czech museum explores Europe's love of chocolate and explains the history of the cultivation of the cocoa bean and how the chocolate making process made its way to Europe. Of course, there are lots of delicious samples available, too.
9. Chocolate Museum, Jeju-do Island, South Korea
The world's second largest chocolate museum is located (rather surprisingly) in Seogwipo in South Korea. Here you can sample lots of different types of chocolate and witness the chocolate-making process. The building itself is striking, built from local volcanic rock.
10. Ritter Sport ChocoWorld, Berlin, Germany
This colourful and modern Ritter Sport ChocoWorld on Gendarmenmarkt Square in Berlin offers the opportunity to make your own Ritter Sport chocolate bar at the ChocoWorkshop and taste delicious creations made by master chocolatiers.
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