Two of the greatest pleasures in life are, arguably, vacations and chocolate. What if you combined them to create one amazing adventure? That’s what oyster.com did when they compiled this list of the best places to vacation and eat—you guessed it—chocolate! Sound like your kind of get away? Hold on in order to find out the answer to “Where in the world is the best chocolate?” 

Brussels, Belgium 

Brussels is said to have more high-end chocolate shops per capita than any other city. Not surprising given that they’ve been making chocolate since the 17th century. The Belgians even invented the praline in the early 1900’s—a sweet still popular today, along with traditional Belgian truffles. 

Zurich, Switzerland 

If you like milk chocolate, then you’ll want to visit the place of its inception, Zurich. The average Swiss native eats about 22 pounds of chocolate per year, and you can hardly blame them! One of the many chocolate shops in Zurich is particularly famous—Lindt & Springli. The store has a museum featuring the company’s history and lots of free samples.  

Barcelona, Spain 

The Spanish were the first Europeans to taste chocolate, and the citizens of Barcelona had the world’s first chocolate-making machine in 1780. Chocolate holds a special place in the city’s heart with its many artisanal chocolate shops and chocolate museum, Museu De La Xocolata, featuring an array of chocolate sculptures, activities and samples. 

Oaxaca, Mexico 

Mexico has a long history with chocolate going all the way back to ancient Mesoamerican civilization in 1100 BC. Chocolate is part of the culture in Oaxaca, where visitors and locals drink hot chocolate and eat bars made of cacao beans with sugar, almonds, cinnamon, and other delicious ingredients. Another treat? Chocolate and mole sauce bought at Oaxaca’s markets. 

San Francisco, California 

Ghirardelli is the oldest continually operating chocolate maker in the United States and a staple of San Francisco. The Ghirardelli Chocolate Company hosts an annual two-day chocolate festival with over 50 vendors, culinary demos, and a popular chocolate and wine pavilion. Beyond Ghirardelli, San Francisco has many other chocolate makers, serving up amazing confections that are definitely worth the trip. 

Paris, France 

In keeping with its culinary pedigree, French does chocolate very well. Paris has many beautiful chocolate shops and café’s that serve chocolate laced drinks and pastries. The chocolate culture in Paris is a serious one with French chocolatiers creating intricate and delectable treats that you won’t find anywhere else.  

London, England 

London has many fabulous and upscale chocolate boutiques to satisfy the desires of any chocolate connoisseur. In addition, London hosts an international chocolate festival every year, ” The Chocolate Festival: UK,” which brings in thousands of chocolate lovers from all over the world. 

This amazing list of destinations is tempting in and of itself. Add in the unique and sumptuous chocolate treats available at each location and if you go, you’ll certainly have memories and taste sensations to last a lifetime.

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