Schokoladenmuseum: The Chocolate Museum of Cologne

On the shore of the Rhine in the heart of Cologne, resides an attraction that is sure to delight all ages. For what was once the customs office building that served a bustling port, has now been transformed into the Schokoladenmuseum – The Chocolate Museum.

A Chocolate Journey Through Time

Fittingly, the architecture of the northern end of this refurbished building now resembles that of the bow of a ship. And, it also offers visitors a cacao-scented journey through the history of chocolate. I paid my first visit to Cologne this spring to visit a new friend I had made last summer while on A Rowing Tour of The Meuse. And of course, this had to be my first stop.

Scaling Up

I found the massive milling machines that were specifically engineered by the Cologne-based, Stollwerk chocolate company fascinating. Built in the late 19th-century, they were invented to create a more refined chocolate mass. Versions of at least one of these machines are still in use today as I discovered in my visit to SOMA Chocolate-maker Extraordinaire.

Also in the late 19th-century, Rodolphe Lindt (yes, that Lindt) invented his own process for refining chocolate. Called ‘conching’, it heats and aerates chocolate over a number of days to give it a delicate melting quality. Watching the rich, dark, liquid chocolate undulating under the roller of the conch was mesmerizing.

Masters of Chocolate

Not only is the Chocolate Museum home to historic artifacts, it is also a modern, functioning chocolate factory. In fact, after observing the transformation of cacao into brown, liquid gold, I had the opportunity to observe some Maîtres Chocolatiers – Master Chocolatiers – making these cute, hollow, panda bears.

That’s a Wrap!

And then, of course, chocolates need to be wrapped. So, there’s a machine for that too. These automated wrapping machines are custom-designed to accommodate the particular shape and size of the chocolate they’ll be handling. The video below gives you a view of the entire process. I have to say, visions of ‘I Love Lucy’ came back to me while watching it.

If the little triangles in the circle of the blue machine below look familiar, that’s because that machine was specifically designed to wrap the iconic Toblerone bar.

Masterful Marketing

This wonderful chocolate museum also houses a display of an early 20th-century general store. Wooden shelves and glass cases filled with colourful, antique, chocolate tins and boxes take you back to a simpler time. There’s even a mannequin of a woman hand-wrapping chocolates.

I particularly loved the colourful and eclectic designs of the chocolate vending machines on display. These were once commonly found in European train stations. What a whimsical and delicious way to brighten up a trip!

Other wonderful marketing tools on display included this sample kit and delivery bicycle. I had no idea before my visit to The Chocolate Museum that there had once been such a variety of ways to sell this sumptuous treat.