Chocolate for the Whole Family

II remember my son’s first three-word sentence as if it was yesterday: “I chocci eat” – “I eat chocolate”. Despite his early development of a sweet tooth, we have never made it to a chocolate museum until now. Fortunately, there are many of them in Switzerland. The nearest one to our home is the Lindt Home of Chocolate in Kilchberg on Lake Zurich.

Beautiful View Included: Arrival by Boat
The most beautiful way to arrive in Kilchberg is by boat from Zurich-Bürkliplatz. Our children love everything nautical, that’s why we get to the quay as early as possible to get the best seats on the upper deck. While our two older ones (7 and 5 years old) enjoy the view of the city and the Uetliberg, we parents are quite busy keeping our one-year-old from climbing overboard – which is surprisingly exhausting.

After 30 minutes we arrive in Kilchberg, from there it’s a 10-minute walk to the museum. Even our walk-averse children are highly motivated to do the effort, since, in this case, the destination – or chocolate – is so much more important than the journey.

Chocolate for the Whole Family

Those who wish, can borrow a stroller and there are lockers for bags and everything else you don’t need to take into the museum – all free of charge. Once we are ready, we start with our chocolate tour.

The audio guide – also available in children’s version – absolutely fascinates my seven-year-old. Now she knows everything about chocolate. Where it comes from, what the Mayans and Aztecs had to do with chocolate, how cocoa is grown, and of course how Switzerland became the number one chocolate country in the world. Our daughter doesn’t only love chocolate, but also rabbits: So, she’s even more over the moon when studying the collection of Easter bunny casting molds from the last decades. And, of course, a look at the 200-year history of Swiss Chocolate is also a highlight for us adults.

Our four-year-old prefers to experience the exhibition without audio guide. The hands-on exhibition allows you to touch, smell, and taste the exhibits. The best part is certainly the tasting one: a yummy pleasure for all of us. You can eat as much white, milk and dark chocolate from the fountain as you want. That’s when we learned that our toddler absolutely loves white chocolate.

But leave some space in your tummies, as this is only the beginning of your chocolate tasting journey. A little further, we are invited to taste the different chocolate bars, then come the Lindor Balls – from classic varieties to more exotic flavors like Salted Caramel and Strawberry, there is something for every taste.

Last, but not least, we get a very close look at the live production of a chocolate bar, which we then get to keep as a souvenir. But this final gift is not simply handed over, the chocolate is being delivered to you via an ingenious ball aka chocolate run – to the great delight of all the children, and adults. Surprisingly, nobody wants to eat the chocolate right away. I think that we more than got a return on our investment and satisfied our hunger for chocolate. It’s fair to say that tonight, nobody will scream for dessert.

However, if you still crave some sweet, sweet chocolate, there is a huge Lindt store just at the exit. Kilchberg definitely belongs on every excursion list of chocolate lovers big and small.

Good to Know: Book your Tickets Online
The museum and the Lindt Chocolate Shop are open every day (except for a few holidays). However, it is important to buy tickets in advance. They are tied to time slots, so if you drop by spontaneously, you may be out of luck.

Entrance is free for children up to the age of seven, CHF 10 for children up to the age of 16, adults pay CHF 15. You can either book the chocolate tour, individual tours with a guide or a chocolate-making workshop.

You should plan about half a day for the visit, including travel to and from Zurich.

Tips and links Kinderregion

• 10% discount on the entry fee with the Zürich Card
• Boat trip on Lake Zurich
• Eat and stay overnight at Campsite Fischers Fritz
• Stay overnight at Zurich Youth Hostel or Richterswil Youth Hostel
• More family activities on Lake Zurich