Belgium is a small country, which cannot be said about the passion of the Belgians for chocolate, especially for pralines covered with chocolate glaze. All over the world, Belgian chocolate is considered a work of art worthy of the highest price, and Brussels is called the world capital of chocolate.
According to official figures, there are three thousand chocolate factories in Belgium, which annually produce 172 thousand tons of chocolate. There are over 2,000 confectionery shops in the country, and most are owned by local chocolatiers in small towns.
In the capital of Belgium, Brussels, chocolate stalls are everywhere, but getting to know the chocolate capital should start with a visit to the Cocoa and Chocolate Museum. This is a small, cozy museum located in an old townhouse with a stepped pediment near the main square.
The exhibition, spanning three floors, tells the story of chocolate in detail, and daily tastings from the country's best chocolate makers attract hundreds of tourists from all over the world. You will find out when the first guilds of chocolatiers were created, how different types of chocolate differ, why chocolate was initially considered only a medicine and other amazing facts.
A few blocks from the square is the Planeta Chocolate store, which sells elegant and very expensive chocolate medallions, an exclusive treat for true connoisseurs. Here you can sit in a cafe and continue your acquaintance with the history of Belgian chocolate at a stationary exhibition at the store.
Continuing your journey southward through the city, you will reach the gothic cathedral of Notre Dame du Sablon and the famous Chocolate Vitamera confectionery, famous for its delicious handmade pralines with a wide variety of fillings. Each set is a unique adventure and enjoyment at the same time.
Vitammer Chocolat is a family business, one of the first chocolate houses in Belgium and a manufacturer of the most expensive chocolates in the world. Other famous Brussels chocolate houses include Pierre Marcolini, Leonidas, Godiva and the Gold Coast, whose logo, in tribute to the African history of the cocoa beans, features three pyramids, an elephant and palm trees.
Further west are two superb chocolate shops - Marie Chocolatier, which makes pralines for the royal court, and Chocolatier Manon, where they create tiny chocolate masterpieces so beautiful that it's easy to feel guilty about putting them in your mouth.
