These 7 Countries Are Paradise For Every Chocolate Lover

Well, in times, when we fall in love at first sight almost every day, there’s one thing we all have been loyal to, from all our heart and soul, since we were kids. Chocolate is and will continue to be everyone’s love at first bite. It’s rightly said, ‘With nine out of ten people liking chocolate, the tenth person is always lying’. Who doesn’t love this one dessert which binds our entire world together! And so, here we are, marking the World Chocolate Day, on 7th of July, a day celebrating this blissful food and one of mankind’s greatest temptations ever.

While most of us travel for sightseeing, there are some who travel for food, and some even for chocolates. Chocolate manifests itself in various forms, across the globe and it’s time we sampled at least some of them. We bring you the list of 7 most chocolatey destinations around the world for that absolutely irresistible indulgence:

* Switzerland

Switzerland consumes more chocolate than any other country in the world. The main attraction in the Swiss city of Zurich (the heart of chocolate production) is the Lindt & Sprungli chocolate factory which offers a museum chronicling the company’s history, an entertaining tour and lots of free chocolate tasting. If you want to try something really unique, take a ride on the Swiss Chocolate Train which departs from Montreaux, making a stop in Gruyeres where Gruyere cheese is made, ultimately arriving in Broc where you’ll get a tour of the Cailler-Nestle factory. So, see to it that whenever you’re chalking out your Switzerland holiday package, you are assuring the chocoholic in you a visit to these destinations.

* Mexico

What better place to indulge in chocolate than in its birthplace! When in Mexico, taste hot chocolate Mayan style. It’s sure to be a beverage memory you’ll cherish forever. Mayan style hot chocolate is thick, foamy, bittersweet, and flavored with chili peppers. Also, not to be missed is the Cocoa Museum and Cocoa Haciendas or plantations of Comalcalco in the Mexican state of Tabasco.

* Madrid, Spain

There can be no better climax to the nightlife in Madrid than visiting one of its very popular chocolaterias, also known as churrerias, which are typically abuzz from the wee hours of the morning until the breakfast time. These chocolate havens serve churros – which is a long waffle-like stick of savoury fried dough, eaten dunked into very thick bittersweet hot chocolate. Doesn’t even the description sound just yum?! One of the iconic churrerias in Madrid in Chocolateria San Gines, established back in 1894.

* Hershey, Pennsylvania, The USA

Rightly known as the ‘sweetest place on earth’, at Hershey’s Chocolate World you can taste the world-famous Hershey’s chocolate, visit the Hershey Story Museum, and even stay at Hotel Hershey, the official resort of Hersheypark, which features a chocolate spa, where guests can enjoy a luxurious whipped cocoa bath, get chocolate bean polish or even order up a chocolate fondue wrap.

* Turin, Italy

Don’t miss out on sipping a cioccolatto caldo in Turin – the chocolate capital of Italy. A form of hot chocolate, cioccolatto caldo is thick, bitter and topped generously with whipped cream. Turin’s signature beverage is Bicerin, a layered hot-chocolate-and–espresso-drink. What’s more, Turin hosts an annual chocolate festival in February, which is an absolute treat for chocolate lovers around the world. So, now you decide for yourself, can an Italy vacation package be complete without a visit to Turin!

* Vienna, Austria

Travel to Vienna in Austria for Sachertorte – A chocolate sponge cake, thinly coated by hand with apricot jam and then covered with dark chocolate icing. Vienna’s Hotel Sacher is home to this absolutely irresistible velvety dessert, often served with a dollop of whipped cream. Named after its 1832 inventor, Franz Sacher, Sachertorte tastes best when had with coffee or champagne. The icing on the cake is the magical elegance of the city’s architecture, from the Vienna State Opera to the Imperial Hofburg Palace.

* Hunter Valley, Australia

Hunter Valley, which lies just a couple of hours north of Sydney, is a mecca for both wine and chocolate lovers. Visit the Hunter Valley Chocolate Company here, which specializes in handmade artisanal chocolate and fudge. Of the three locations in the Instagrammable valley, the most enticing is the Twenty-3-Twenty Chocolate and Fudge Factory, where the super high-quality Belgian chocolate is combined with Australian fruit and nuts, as well as fruit oil infusions.