The grand Lindt and Sprüngli Factory in Kilchberg, Switzerland, on the western shore of Lake Zurich, makes for a sweet sight. The tantalising aroma of chocolate permeates every corner of its recently opened museum on the premises. Inside, a giant 9.3-metre tall three-tonne fountain sends thick, rich chocolate travelling at a speed of one km per second through 94-metre-long pipes concealed inside the structure. It appears weightless but is 1,500 moving kg of sheer scrumptiousness. It is also a tribute to the master chocolatiers at Lindt who made the brand globally famous.
But don’t let the piece de resistance distract you. There is a lot to learn as the museum aims to educate the public about all things chocolate, from its history to preserving the heritage of chocolate-making and celebrating new technological and sustainable innovations in the world of coco’s favourite avatar. There is a series of interactive displays and life-like models to illustrate its journey. You get to experience chocolate history starting from the cultivation of the cocoa pod to its metamorphosis into exquisite, fine chocolate.
There is a lot of do-it-yourself at Lindt and Sprüng Factory such as making chocolate yourself and designing your own personal praline packaging at the large Lindt Chocolate Shop. If you don’t like getting your hands sweetly dirty, you can ask a Lindt master chocolatier to create a bespoke chocolate bar as per your taste.
Switzerland is known to produce some of the best chocolates in the world but the origin of chocolate can be traced to Central America. The ancient Olmecs, Mayans, Aztecs and other civilisations used cocoa seeds to make a drink as well as a currency. Around the early 1,500s, the Spanish armies, which invaded the region, took it back to Europe. An entire section of the museum throws light on the Swiss pioneers who transformed the industry through a slew of innovations. Rodolphe Lindt, one of the great choco pioneers, further changed the game by inventing the conche—a machine to mix chocolate mass and kneading it continuously till it attains a silky smooth inconsistency.
There are plenty of different chocolates available for tasting along the factory tour, ending in the largest chocolate store in the world. It has heaps of Lindors—gourmet milk chocolate truffles in a variety of flavours. It stocks every conceivable Lindt chocolate there is.
Now that is what we consider a sweet deal.
Getting There
The museum is open all days of the week from 10 am to 6 pm, and is accessible by bus, boat, car and train. The bus, 165 from Bürkliplatz, drops you straight at the Lindt and Sprüngli bus stop.