Museu de la Xocolata, Barcelona

Learn about the history and art of chocolate making in Spain in full multi-sensory detail at the Barcelona Chocolate Museum. Upon entry into the museum, visitors receive a free sample of what's on display, but by the end of the tour you may very well be hungering for more. Visitors will learn the fascinating history of chocolate's entry into mainstream culture, beginning with its use as a stimulating cacao drink in ancient Mesoamerican cultures. It was brought over to Spain by the original Colombian colonizers of the 15th century and spread throughout Europe over the course of the next few centuries. Interestingly enough, on the site where the museum currently sits, the Bourbon army was stationed in the 18th century, and certain regiments of the army were so vocal about their love of chocolate that they requested it as part of their food rations, and consequently came to be known as the "chocolateros".

Visitors can also explore the process of manufacturing chocolate, viewing models of the machines and production lines that are used in modern chocolate manufacturing today, as well as a large exhibition hall (the Sala Barcelona) filled with scaled chocolate models of the most important buildings in Barcelona. You may be tempted to take a bite out of the Sagrada Familia, but hopefully you can restrain yourself until you get to the gift shop. Sculptors have also recreated famous works of art, important historical figures, and monuments. Besides its permanent exhibitions, the museum also offers regular classes and lectures on the art of chocolate, including the annual mona competition, where contestants create their own mona sculptures, a traditional Spanish art form of making small figurines out of chocolate.

Museu de la Xocolata

Carrer del Comerç, 36, 08003 Barcelona