“If you want to view paradise, simply look around and view it.”
– Willy Wonka
Willy Wonka may not have had his chocolate factory in Brussels, but he may just as well been talking about Belgium’s capital. To many, chocolate is the eighth wonder of the world. It is a cultural phenomenon that virtually everyone has indulged in at some time. Whether one enjoys the basic chocolate sweets intended for the less-sophisticated palate, artisanal choices designed by purists, or something a little more avant-garde; there is a type of chocolate available to suit anyone’s taste.
The world is filled with chocolate shops and its manufacturers, but there is one place where it all really comes together – Brussels. In Brussels, one can step into a real-life Willy Wonka chocolate factory, but without the Oompa Loompas. In fact, anyone who is truly into chocolate should make a trip to Belgium, as Brussels is known as the world capital of the sweet.
The city has been producing chocolate since 1635 but really made its mark in history with the invention of the praline in 1912. Soon after that the city became known for making some of the best chocolates in the world. Today, there are more than 500 chocolatiers in Belgium – that’s one chocolatier for every 2,000 people.
Take the chocolate walking tour
To experience a city properly it is best to travel on foot, but how does one get a real taste of Brussels? By pounding the pavement on a four-hour guided chocolate walking tour, of course. A dream come true for chocoholics, the tour makes stops in many of the top chocolate shops throughout the city with plenty of free samples at the likes of Neuhaus, Marcolini, Godiva, Blondeel, and Pierre Ledent.
The tour winds through the city center of Brussels, stopping at not only some well-known chocolate shops, but also at some iconic Belgian landmarks, all the while recounting chocolate-related legends along the way. Beginning at the historic Old Town, the tour winds past Art Nouveau houses, and ends up at Grand Place, the former market square. Visitors then pass the Royal Palace and continue strolling down to Manneken Pis, the iconic statue sculpted in 1619 by Jerome Duquesnoy. The tour also passes through Jeanneken Pis, the Sabon Square populated by antique shops, galleries, and most importantly, Neuhaus, the oldest chocolate shop in Brussels.
The four-hour walking tour isn’t without a decadent finale – a 45-minute hands-on chocolate workshop with a master chocolatier allows guests to make real Belgian pralines and then enjoy their own creations. They can also indulge in handmade Easter eggs, pralines, and orangettes – filled with either cream or liqueur fillings.
Just one warning: the confections made in the workshop do not keep well, so it is highly advisable that they be eaten right away! However, for most tourists attending the chocolate walking tour and workshop, that isn’t a problem – most sweets have been eaten well before anyone leaves.
Photo credit: chocolate
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