Lindt is one of Switzerland’s well-known chocolate manufacturers. Visitors can tour the Lindt Home of Chocolate in Kilchberg, or drop into one of many stores throughout the country selling the sweet stuff. (iStock)
With the arrival of Valentine’s Day, we’re all deserving of a sweet treat, and what’s more universally loved than chocolate? Here are some of Europe’s best places to learn about, or better yet, indulge in this happiness-inducing foodstuff, with or without any romantic partner in tow.
Kilchberg, Switzerland: This small town on the western shores of Lake Zurich is home to the Lindt & Sprüngli chocolate manufacturers, who in the year 2020 opened the Lindt Home of Chocolate. This museum introduces visitors to the origin of chocolate and its main ingredient, cocoa, by means of virtual journeys to Ghana and Central America, explores how Spanish explorers introduced the bitter beverage made from cocoa beans to the royal courts of Europe, and helps shed light on just how tiny, landlocked Switzerland came to be one of the world’s chocolate capitals. Standing in front of the 30-foot-high chocolate fountain is one of the tour’s highlights. Visitors can opt for a guided tour or follow along with an audio guide. Tickets for a self-guided tour go for 17 Swiss Francs ($18.86) for adults or 10 CHF for ages 8-15. Master courses and guided tastings are also available. Online: lindt-home-of-chocolate.com/en
Montreux, Switzerland: A 7.5-hour tour themed “In the land of chocolate and cheese” provides passengers with ample time to savor two sumptuous dairy products, chocolate and cheese. The journey to Montbovon begins on a well-appointed carriage of a Belle Époque train and continues by bus. In Gruyères, a dairy sheds light on cheese-making; after that, there’s free time to explore the medieval town and castle. The visit to the Cailler chocolate factory in Broc is followed by a tasting. The Chocolate Train runs on several days a week from May 1 through Sept. 30; adults pay 89 Swiss Francs and tickets for children between the ages of 6 and 15 cost 69 CHF. Online: mob.ch/en/products/chocolate-train
Antwerp, Belgium: Chocolate Nation- The Belgian Chocolate Experience tells the story of Belgian chocolate from its origins in the cocoa plantations of the equator by following cocoa beans on their journey to the world’s largest cocoa storage point in Antwerp and introduces Belgian brands and products as they’ve evolved through the years. The self-guided tour through 14 thematic rooms takes about 1 1/2 hours. Adult tickets cost 19.90 euros, youth pay 18.50 euros, and ages 4-11 pay 14.50. The price of the tour includes the use of an audio guide and a chocolate tasting package. Online: chocolatenation.be/en
Cologne, Germany: The Chocolate Museum on the banks of the Rhine River walks visitors through 5,000 years of the history and culture of chocolate production by following the journey of a cocoa bean from harvest to ocean voyage to port to chocolate factory. The onsite café is the place to sample chocolate fondue, hot cocoa drinks, cakes and other sweets. Entry to the museum costs 18.50 euros for adults and 12 euros for school-age children. Half-hour tasting sessions cost an additional 3 euros. Online: schokoladenmuseum.de/en
Perugia, Italy: La Casa del Cioccolato is found in the hometown of the factory of the Perugina brand of chocolate. The makers of the well-known Baci praline in its blue and silver lining also run a museum that traces the history of chocolate and showcases the development of the brand through the lens of its advertising and labeling through the years. At times when the manufacturing process is taking place, visitors can view a production line from a glassed-in walkway running above the floor. There’s also a chance to sample a variety of the company’s tasty wares. The museum, located at Viale San Sisto 207/C, is about a fifteen-minute drive from Perugia’s historical core and is closed on Sundays and holidays. The ninety-minute guided tour costs 10 euros for adults, 8 euros for those ages 13-17 and 5 euros for those ages six to 12. Online: perugina.com/it/casa-del-cioccolato/la-casa
The city is also home to the Chocotel Perugia, billed as the world’s first chocolate-themed hotel. In addition to 94 rooms with chocolate-inspired décor, the establishment offers a lavish breakfast buffet laden with croissants, pastries and savory selections. This so-called “Island of the Sweet Tooth” can also be visited by outside visitors holding advance reservations; the all-you-can-eat experience goes for 15 euros. Online: chocohotel.it/en
Eurochocolate, Perugia’s vast festival and street fair celebrating chocolate and cocoa products from around the world, takes place in late autumn each year. The 2025 edition of this event will run from Nov. 14-23. Online: eurochocolate.com
Birmingham, England: One of the UK’s best-loved brands of chocolate offers its very own theme park in the form of Cadbury World. Young visitors can enjoy a quest for the ingredients of a chocolate bar through interactive sets or a 4D cinema experience with motion seats. Other areas explore the origin of cocoa beans and the brand’s history. Bull Street is the re-creation of a Victorian-era street scene. Tickets must be booked online in advance; the cost for a standard adult ticket begins at 22.50 UK pounds ($28.10) per adult visitor. Online: cadburyworld.co.uk
