Choco-Story+Museum

Choco-Story is the Chocolate Museum in Bruges, Belgium. It is a unique place that tells the history of how cocoa is processed into chocolate. The building itself was built in 1480 and is unusual because it is a four-story house which is rare for the 15th century. It was originally a tavern that housed wine barrels and sold wine. Later it housed a bakery and furniture making shop. The museum was opened by Eddie Van Belle and his son Cedric.

When you enter the museum, there is a written history of the building and about the different kinds of chocolates found in Bruges. Each room in the museum is dedicated to different parts of the history of chocolate. In one room you will learn about how the Mayans and Aztecs used chocolate as an offering to their gods and how it was used for everyday life. You will then move on to learn about how the Spaniards used cocoa as a drink and as currency and there is even a room dedicated to the different vessels in which cocoa has been contained. The second floor is dedicated to the cocoa tree and the production of cocoa beans. On the third floor, you will learn about the health benefits of chocolate, the history of Belgium chocolate producers and why Belgium chocolate is the best tasting. There is even a short film about cocoa and chocolate.

In addition to learning all about the wonderful history of chocolate, there are additional rooms for exploration. One room has information about the different compositions of dark, milk and white chocolate along with Aztec and Spanish recipes, another has interesting sculptures made out of chocolate. The last room in the museum is the demonstration room where you can watch chocolate being made, ask questions and have a tasty sample.