On a chocolate trip

Here are five destinations that might unearth the chocoholic in you and make you feel like that proverbial kid in the candy store all over again.

April 23, 2014 03:43 pm | Updated May 21, 2016 01:00 pm IST - chennai

Belgian Chocolate Elephant

Belgian Chocolate Elephant

Switzerland For almost two centuries, this country has been synonymous with chocolate. The journey begins in Montreux on the Swiss Riviera and takes you to Broc where you can visit Nestle’s iconic Maison Caliller Chocolate factory. Zurich is one of the country’s chocolate hubs; the Lindt factory store is a haven for bargain hunters. The city’s famed shopping district Bahnhof Strasse boasts of a long list of chocolatiers.

Victoria, Australia The area around Melbourne is not just a gourmand’s paradise but is full of tempting propositions for chocolate addicts. Philip Island is home to Pannys World of Chocolate a chocolate village complete with working trains and a cool spinning zoetrope. Head to the Yarra Valley that recently hosted Australia’s first hot chocolate festival.

Hershey’s Chocolate World, USA: New York might well be America’s go-to destination for chocolate lovers; from the hot chocolate at Max Brenner’s in Broadway to the 1950s style Magnolia Bakery that shot to fame courtesy Sex and the City . If you are looking at spending a chocolate-filled day nothing comes close to the Hershey’s Chocolate world experience in Pennsylvania.

Belgium Over 2100 chocolate stores, an annual chocolate production of over 172,000 tonnes, 16 chocolate museums and 12 large factories. The figures are only one part of the story in Belgium where almost all chocolate is made with pure cocoa flavour sans vegetable shortening. Chocolate pralines were invented here by John Neuhas about a century ago. The Place du Grand Sablon is the city’s chocolate district. The almost fairy-tale medieval town of Bruges is a compelling option too.

Mexico Might not be the first destination that springs to your mind when you think of chocolate but it is here that the ancient Meso Americans are believed to have discovered the wonders of chocolate. ‘Five hours from the country’s capital is Oaxaca a city whose chocolate traditions date back to 1100 BC and a UNESCO World Heritage site.

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