A MUST for chocolate lovers! I'd say it was a more elevated experience at this House of Läderach…read moreeven though we didn't get to do the tour. We arrived closer to 5pm. We took advantage of the beautiful weather that day and saved this experience for last as we were heading back to Lucerne. There was a huge tour group just off the bus. Unfortunately, they couldn't accept 2 more people with the time alotted (totally understandable). Our tour guide pulled a rabbit out of his hat once again to save the day. He had a promotional ticket for a complimentary chocolate making experience. It was the best surprise ever! This guy always has a Plan B.
That plan went into action almost immediately. Honestly, it was an experience that I didn't think we would have time for during the trip. Our guide proved us wrong. I was given a ticket to redeem it for a chocolate bar of my choice (white, milk, or dark chocolate) as well as the shape of the bar (Switzerland, heart, or square chocolate mold). The kind lady at the Live Production area explained the process and told me to maximize the toppings on the table to create a work of art. I did just that. Lol! Okay, it was more of a hot mess than a work of art. I decided to name it the "Terrain of Switzerland" because it was more of a textural look. It was a last minute decision to add the rice crispies later after placing it on the cooling conveyor belt to set the chocolate. They ended up being the little cows on the mountainous terrain of chocolate. Haha! It was SO MUCH FUN!! My husband took pictures of me assembling it. He really got into it. Our guide was laughing at my artwork, and totally with reason. It ended up being a highlight of our trip. The wrapping of the chocolate and making a bow was a little difficult for me. I'm not very crafty, but it worked out quite well.
After this awesome experience, we took our time walking through the factory shop. There were so many great deals. I immediately went to the bags of frischschoggi. They taste the same as what you would get for the higher price only these were misshapen chocolate pieces. It was an assortment of all different flavors. Everyone was looking for bags with the most variety of flavors. I also ended up purchasing the Dubai Dark Chocolate Frischschoggi. Delicious!! It's my favorite so far. They also had a milk chocolate version. You'll also get a sample of chocolate truffles in your bag to take home with you. There are also samples provided as you enter the store. The pumpkin spice one was actually quite delicious. Yum!
This was absolutely the best Läderach experience we encountered. We visited many storefronts, but the one in Bilten was the cherry on top. There's a café as well, and everything is just beautifully presented. Läderach is known in Switzerland for its quality ingredients. Just ask around, and you'll see. Make that stop in Bilten. It's so very worth a special trip as a chocolate lover. It's chocolate heaven, indeed!
