Chocolarium - the sweetest museum

Chocolate lovers - attention! On the eve of spring, Ljubljana has a new, sweetest museum in this part of Europe! It is situated in the very center of Ljubljana, within the premises of a former department store and office building that has been vacant for years. The Fojkar Bonotelli couple knew right away that this was the right place to create their sweet story - they arranged almost 1,200 square meters and two floors in such a way as to tell their unique tale.

"The Ljubljana Chocolarium Chocolate Museum was created out of a great love for sweets, especially chocolate, and a desire for people to get to know chocolate from a different perspective. Before opening the museum, we were already involved in the production and creation of high-quality chocolate products. Over time, we realized that chocolate is not just a dessert - it has a rich history, cultural significance, and a compelling story behind it that many people are unaware of. That is how the idea was born: why not create a space where people could learn more about this "chocolate" and have a good time at the same time", begins the story of Anjeza Fojkar Bonotelli's family success.

Elderly residents of Ljubljana are aware that this location was once a two-story clothing store, with its floors connected by escalators. Although they would fit into this environment, ​​replacing it with a slide seems a much better option. And so if you want to enter the history of chocolate, all you have to do is go from the upper floor of the museum, where there is a cafe, gift shop, and chocolate-making laboratory, sit on the top of the slide, and go on an adventure.

The lower part of the museum covers 600 m² and is divided into different thematic sections. In the cinema hall, you can watch a short film about the history of cocoa and chocolate, and start walking along the cocoa tree. While you learn about how roasted cocoa beans are made and the differences in the beans depending on the country they come from, the guides through the museum will offer you the opportunity to try everything. Some beans may be bitter, while others may be sour, but don't worry. The historical tape will lead you to the 'chocolate belt' where the full sweet story of different types of chocolate begins - from milk, dark to white, which is not chocolate.

And when your taste buds are improved, and you think you can't try any more chocolate, enter the part of the museum with a fountain and a gallery where there are more than 30 different flavors of chocolate. In addition to the classic flavors, there are also hit chocolates with basil, with freeze-dried fruit, cranberries, but also something completely different from everything - chocolate pralines with garlic, chives, chili and salt.

"The museum is designed so that to follow the process of processing any grain - we start in the jungle, continue to storage and quality control, then move on to production, where the ingredients are mixed and chocolate is created, all the way to the final stage, where the chocolate is finished and ready for tasting. The design of the museum was a team and creative process. My husband, Luka Fojkar Bonotelli, and I have been researching chocolate museums across Europe for years, so we already had a clear vision of what we wanted and what not. We collaborated with excellent designers, including the Valentin design studio from Croatia, which helped create a huge chocolate tree that looks like real chocolate," says Anjeza, showing another unique part of the museum.

The ticket price includes a guided tour of the museum, which provides all the necessary information and allows you to discover new and unique flavors. Additionally, the museum offers another attraction - entry into a specially created facility where each visitor is permitted to create their own chocolate. The master who helps in the process provides a white, milk or dark chocolate base on which each visitor puts the desired details. The chocolate cools and, in about 15 minutes, comes to the packaging table for you to pack and take home.

"Chocolarium Ljubljana is the first and only chocolate museum in Slovenia. It is a unique place where visitors can discover, experience, and savor chocolate in all its forms through an interactive experience, as we like to say. Every detail in the museum is carefully designed to provide a more sensory experience, making the visit unforgettable for all chocolate lovers. Let's not forget, chocolate makes us happy and connects us, and we help you with that," concludes Anjez.

foto: Nikola Zoko