A Chocolate Delight...

The Schokoladen Museum in Cologne, Germany is a true chocolate delight. Owned by Lindt, Lindor chocolate company it is the perfect place for chocoholics and people with a sweet tooth to visit. 
Myself, My Mum and my best friend Lucy visited the museum in April whilst on a trip to Cologne. My Mum and I had visited once before but it was a long time ago and a lot had changed since then. As we approached the museum after walking down the bank of the Rhine, the scent of chocolate was floating in the air, which enticed us in even more. As the museum opened at 11am, all of the tourists waiting outside barged through the door and queued for their entry. Whilst stood in the queue, we noticed the amazing cakes on display in the cafe next to the ticket office. We didn't actually try one but boy did they look good!

When we finally got our ticket, we were also handed a free wrapped piece of Lindt milk chocolate. I straight away unwrapped it and popped it in my mouth, it was a taste I wanted to savour. We firstly came across the initial process of making chocolate, ie, the humble cacao bean. All of the signs were written in German and English, which was amazing and meant we could keep up with all the displays. All of this was very interesting, but I am sure, as we were, you're waiting to hear about the ultimate chocolate indulgence...the chocolate fountain. Unlike any fountain I've ever seen, this gold masterpiece is astonishingly tall and is surrounded by glass that looks out onto the river. It is a spectacular site, especially on a sunny day like we got. We ran straight over to the lady handing out samples. She handed us a wafer biscuit dipped in warm melted chocolate. It was divine! 

After devouring our chocolate sample, we moved on to the factory portion of the tour. This section was filled with all of the machinery that they use to make the chocolate that they sell. It was a very mouth watering experience! Watching all of the chocolate roll down the conveyor belts was seriously making us want to go and buy some chocolate. 

There were also chocolate moulds on the upper floor which showed all the amazing creations they can make. Everything from Little Red Riding Hood & Wolf to cats. Moving on we saw a lot of chocolate merchandise from the early years right up to present day. It was nice to see how all the packaging had changed from some of my favourite chocolates, especially After Eights. Me and Lucy also found a few photo opportunities in this room, including a Milka cow, a Lindt bunny bench and a massive Lindt chocolate that we just couldn't reach!

After finishing the tour, we spent almost as long in the gift shop. Lucy was trying to choose presents for her family to take back, and me and Mum were doing the same, (as well as trying to choose one for ourselves.) I spent ages trying to decide what I would like to try. In the end I decided on a pick 'n' mix style bag of Lindt chocolates and a large bag of mixed fruit marshmallows. Yum! Lucy found some lovely little chocolates shaped like the Dom (the cathedral in Cologne) which were so cute! 
Overall we had an amazing time at the Schokoladen Museum and if you are ever in the Cologne area, it is a must do attraction!