Chocolate fans may be interested in visiting a newly-opened experiential space in Zurich, when it’s safe to travel again. Lindt Home of Chocolate showcases the history of Swiss chocolate, telling the story of how the company’s famous chocolate is produced as well as showcasing other iconic Swiss chocolate makers.
The attraction incorporates an interactive, immersive exhibition, and its chocolateria is offering chocolate-making classes. Visitors can journey back to the origins of chocolate and experience how cocoa conquered Europe, as well as following the manufacturing process in modern test facilities. The building is home to the world’s largest Lindt shop, and features a research and development facility for future chocolate recipes, a production plant, a café and offices.
Designed by Christ & Gantenbein, the various aspects of the building are connected by spiralling staircases and cascading walkways. They crisscross a vast atrium that is 64m-long, 15m-high and 13m-wide. The visually-stunning building’s design is modeled after the Lindt and Sprüngli factory, which was first erected when the company was founded in 1845 and is now considered to be a historic landmark. A dramatic, nine-meter-high golden chocolate fountain at its center was developed by Atelier Brückner, who are also authors of the exhibition.
Brand ambassador and tennis star, Roger Federer, was present at the opening, and he also starred in a video giving an inside peak of the new attraction. “Chocolate is a part of our national identity and the chocolate industry is an extremely important economic sector of our country," says Ueli Maurer, of Swiss Federal Council. "For this reason, fostering local chocolate expertise is synonymous with boosting Switzerland as an economic location.”
For further information on Lindt Home of Chocolate and to read about the COVID-19 measures it has implemented there, please see its website here.
Why not check out Lonely Planet's Global Chocolate Tour book, a delicious guide to chocolate tasting across six continents. You’ll discover everything from where to get Germany’s best black forest cake to unmissable hot chocolate hotspots, revealing where to go and what to try, as well as finding out about the history, production and science of chocolate making.
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