One city has been crowned Europe’s chocolate capital in a new study analysing chocolate culture across the continent
Isobel Pankhurst Audience Writer
14:14, 02 Apr 2026
Turin has been known for its chocolate since the late 1500s(Image: Getty)
When you think of chocolate, your mind might wander to the Belgian capital of Brussels, or perhaps the Swiss Alps, yet neither has claimed the top spot on Europe’s list of “chocolate capitals”. Instead, that coveted title belongs to the Italian city of Turin.
Ahead of the bustling summer tourist season, Avis examined European cities for their chocolate culture, taking into account the number of chocolatiers and shops listed on Yelp, chocolate-related attractions such as museums and factory tours, and consumer ratings.
Their research placed Turin firmly at the top, closely followed by Perugia, also in Italy, with Austria’s Salzburg taking third place.
Two British cities also featured on the list, with one securing fourth place and London coming in eighth.
Turin boasts 233 chocolatiers and five chocolate attractions; regarded as Europe’s historic chocolate capital since 1585, the city is the birthplace of gianduja and bicerin – iconic hazelnut-chocolate specialities.
There’s also the Pfatisch Chocolate Museum and factory tours from renowned brands such as Caffarel.
The city’s annual CioccolaTò festival further solidifies its standing as a must-visit destination for immersive chocolate experiences.
Taking to TripAdvisor, one recent visitor to the Pfatisch Chocolate Museum wrote: “Beautiful audio guided tour, interactive for families. The children had a great time with the interactive games.
“Very cosy and realistic environment recreated for the tour. Exhaustive on the subject. It involved all the senses.
“Small taste of the three chocolates (dark, milk, white) and finally the king Gianduiotto.”
Meanwhile, another visitor who enjoyed a trip to the Pfatish Museum remarked: “This place looks it belongs on a movie set. Everything looks so good and so perfect. Even if you don’t buy anything here, it is well worth a visit.”
A HUGE new multi-million attraction based on chocolate is opening in Europe.
Maison Cailler, in Broc, Switzerland, is the home to Switzerland’s oldest chocolate brand as well as being a museum.
Sign up for the Travel newsletter
Thank you!
The redesigned future Parc Cailler is expected to attract over a million visitorsCredit: Urban ProjectThe historic chocolate factory site is being transformed into a 30,000 m² tourist parkCredit: Urban ProjectNew hotels and rides are part of the plans
And it has has revealed plans for a whole load of new experiences to expand the land.
One of the largest additions are the Cocoa Bean Greenhouses, which will have real cocoa trees for guests to learn about the processes of making of chocolate.
A new tasting hall and shop will become the Emporium, while a flying theatre like ride will let guests go on virtual flights throughout Switzerland.
Original parts of the factory dating back to 1898 are also being restored, with plans to open to the public for the first time as “chocolate theatres”.
And the current Atelier du Chocolate workshop is trippling in size to cope with the current demand.
Set to cost CHF400million (£379million), works could start this year with plans to open by 2030.
All of the new additions will turn the experience into a one-hour experience as long as six hours.
It hopes to more than double tourist numbers, from the current 500,000 to 1.2million a year.
Other plans include a new gondola connecting the attraction to the parking area, as well as new hotels.
President of the Gruyère-Chocolat Association behind the attraction, Olivier Quillet, emphasized that it wasn’t a theme park as they “wont have rollercoasters“.
Instead, he said: “We want to showcase the expertise, tradition, and heritage.
“From the moment they enter, visitors will be immersed in chocolate; they can taste it and watch it being crafted by master chocolatiers.”
I stayed in a chocolate themed hotel suite that was full of delicious treats – but what surprised me the most wasn’t the edible chocolate in the bathroom.
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
I stayed in a chocolate hotel room
Hidden away, just an hour from the UK, is a hotel suite completely draped in chocolate. This is accommodation that money simply cannot buy, but no, you don’t need a golden ticket – you merely have to be the world’s kindest person.
Tony’s Chocolonely has teamed up with the Social Hub in Amsterdam to offer a select few people an overnight stay in this extraordinary, chocolate-themed room. And I was fortunate enough to become the first guest to experience it.
From the cupboards and shelves brimming with chocolate, the overwhelming chocolate aroma, and the inspirational messages scattered throughout, this suite was a remarkable space I won’t forget in a hurry.
However, it wasn’t just the edible chocolate in the bathroom that surprised me the most: it was the deeper meaning behind the competition.
What to expect
I stepped into the room through enormous red curtains to find a personal bartender, who prepared a beverage of my choosing. I opted for the Salted Caramel Espresso Martini, which was incredibly tasty and decadent. The bartender was welcoming, considerate and engaging.
I was then given free rein to discover the suite’s three spaces: the principal red one, a concealed blue room, and an upstairs monochrome room.
Each space conveyed its own theme and function: the red for community and connection, the blue for self-reflection, and the black and white for gratitude and recognition.
In the red room, I discovered a self-contained kitchen featuring a functioning hob, coffee maker, sink, microwave, a create-your-own ice-cream sundae station, a well-stocked fridge containing various beverages, and (crucially) cabinets brimming with chocolate.
Every visitor receives a shelf packed with chocolate which they can take away, to share with the loveliest people in their lives (or someone less lovely, should they wish). Messages about kindness and connection were dotted throughout. There was even a chocolate Jenga available with questions printed on the wrappers.
The blue room features a fortune slot machine, which requires finding tokens scattered around the suite to operate. Within it, you can collect chocolates and discover self-reflective questions. I invited my brother along, who was posed the question: “What’s one belief you have changed your mind about?”
He answered: “That I’m not good enough.” This wasn’t something I anticipated him revealing or knew he’d struggled with, because to me, my older brother is nothing short of perfect.
Finally, we entered the black-and-white room, where visitors can leave a message of kindness for the team or the following guest. Charlie Ayres, head of brand at The Social Hub, commented: “We wanted every part of the room to spark togetherness and encourage kindness, using chocolate to create opportunities to share, interact and above all, be sweet to one another.
“This is a one-off, limited experience designed to celebrate some of the world’s sweetest people, while also telling a more important story. Through our partnership with Tony’s Chocolonely, we hope to spark conversation around exploitation in the chocolate industry, showing how experiences can be both joyful and meaningful.”
My night in the chocolate ‘red room’
The red room, along with the black and white room, was our accommodation for the evening, and the space is, quite frankly, enchanting.
Upon entering, I was met with a delightful chocolate aroma that wasn’t overly sweet but rather nutty and creamy. Everything appears extraordinary, and just when you think you’ve discovered all the chocolate, you open a new cupboard or area, and there’s even more.
The bed felt like sinking into a cloud, complete with a soft mattress and a thick duvet. Personally, I would have preferred the room to be a tad warmer, as it was a large area with only air conditioning and no heating.
However, there were ample blankets available, which kept me snug and warm. One minor issue was the television, which we couldn’t seem to get working, but this encouraged my brother and me to continue conversing.
I awoke feeling incredibly refreshed. We indulged ourselves with a scrumptious sundae before receiving a heartwarming and delightful wake-up call that encouraged us to share the kindness we’d experienced with the wider world.
Reflecting on his time there following the visit, my brother remarked: “Sweetness and warmth even down to the scent wafting throughout the rooms. It had a spacious bathroom, a comfortable bed and an abundance of chocolate as a treat at hand, anywhere you looked. Thought and caring touches sprinkled throughout promoting mindfulness and a reminder that peace doesn’t happen in a vacuum.”
The chocolate-themed room will remain available for the next three days. Enthusiasts in Amsterdam can also visit the space on March 29 from 1 pm.
The message
When the world requires a touch of kindness, this partnership seeks to inspire people to engage with family, friends, and even complete strangers, and to appreciate the significance of making decisions that benefit those in their community.
Trix van der Vleuten, chief marketing officer at The Social Hub, explained: “The world feels increasingly divided. We’re more digitally connected than ever, yet loneliness is rising. We wanted to come together with Tony’s to showcase that sweetness, simple, human kindness, matters more than ever, and that people can enjoy our products while positively impacting society.”
Through this launch, Tony’s Chocolonely aims to spotlight its commitment to aiding approximately 40,000 cocoa farmers in achieving a sustainable income. The firm’s head of global brand and communications, Sadira E. Furlow, stated that the brand’s goal is to eradicate exploitation within the cocoa industry by demonstrating that chocolate can be produced more ethically.
