The Chocolate Museum: original and… tasty!
The mouthwatering aroma hits you as soon as you step through the doors: this is one museum which leaves no doubt as to its subject.
As if the smell wasn’t enough, there’s a big chocolate fountain just behind the front desk, adding to the promise of a tasty, tasty visit!
What we learnt at the Chocolate Museum
Chocolate and the Aztecs
The visit begins with an explanation of the geographic and historical origins of cacao, covering the symbolic value of chocolate for the Aztecs, and the ways in which they made and consumed it.
Next, the development of chocolate consumption through the ages: did you know, for example, that Barcelona was the European chocolate capital, destination of the New World merchant fleets?
Chocolate in Europe
The museum goes on to explain how Europeans transformed Aztec recipes to suit their own tastes, and how chocolate became the subject of social rituals, of poems, of paintings and of advertising campaigns.
Remarkably thorough!
What’s on display at the Chocolate Museum
Chocolate sculptures
Over the course of the visit, you’ll see a whole range of chocolate sculptures. Some represent key monuments from Barcelona or elsewhere in Spain, whilst others show cult comic book figures, such as Tintin or Asterix.
Multimedia space
A short film on the legends relating to chocolate can be seen in this area.
Production equipment
The final part of the museum is given over to the chocolate-making process, with all of the machines involved in transforming cacao beans from their raw state into a delicious finished product.
The museum shop
The visit ends in the museum shop, which features chocolate in pretty much any form you might think of: solid, liquid, paste, and even in candles, alone or alongside other flavours.
Things to do at the Chocolate Museum
In addition to visits, the Chocolate Museum offers a whole range of activities for both adults and children, for which you’ll need to book ahead.
Activities for children
Children can participate in a range of chocolate-based experiences, including sweet-making and chocolate painting. Special guided visits, including games, are also on offer. Some activities are open to both adults and children.
Activities for adults
Other activities are reserved exclusively for adults. Examples include a chocolate sculpture workshop, chocolate tasting (normal or blind), and a chocolate and wine-pairing workshop. Yum!
The Chocolate Museum: is it worth it?
A visit to the Chocolate Museum lasts between 30 and 45 minutes, so it’s quite short. We feel it’s a shame that the visit doesn’t include a tasting element.
On the other hand, you do learn a lot from the visit, and the museum is popular with children. Explanations are available in English.
Finally, a little finishing touch: the entrance tickets are made of chocolate, which goes some way towards making up for the lack of tasting…
Useful information
- Entry costs around €5. Book ahead here to save 5% off the price of tickets.
- Students get a 15% discount.
- Activities cost between €8 and €25.
