Exploring Europe's Hidden Gems #2 Chocolate tour of Ghent

Belgium is considered a chocolate country and the Belgians themselves are proud of it. There is a handmade chocolate factory in every town and together with the Swiss, they are the biggest exporters of chocolate.

In Ghent I had the opportunity to try a lot of local chocolate and the advantage was that Ghent is home to a lot of famous and premium brands. I can honestly say that I have only had real chocolate here and the difference with the commercial brands is huge. They are all located in the city center and I highly recommend them all!

Leonidas is a very popular Belgian chocolate brand and can be found in every town in Belgium. Its history spans more than 100 years. It has a large selection and most people in Belgium, if they are visiting someone, buy chocolate here. The advantage is the price/performance ratio. When you get very good quality chocolate for a reasonable price. If you take a stroll around the centre of Ghent you will not miss this shop. And if you're looking for chocolate for a daily treat make sure you go there

Leonidas

The first premium brand for me is "Neuhaus", which also has a shop all over Belgium and is distinguished by being the first to produce "Pralines", a kind of candy filled with chocolate. This is something the brand is very proud of. The price is a little higher than Leonidas, but it is still already robotically created chocolate, but with premium ingredients. And it's worth checking out the inventor of pralines. This brand's store is located in Ghent near Gravesteen Castle.

This is a truly premium handmade chocolate shop where you will find chocolates with interesting and varied flavors. These are more expensive chocolates than the previous two, but you will notice even higher quality. I fell in love with the Milk flake truffle and Cocoa Truffle in this shop. When you put them in your mouth they melt instantly and you just exhale deliciously.

Chocolates Van Hoorebeke

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3) Chocolaterie Vandenbouhede

The craziest chocolate combinations, such as a piece of chocolate-covered beef, as well as the most beautifully crafted chocolate pieces you'll regret eating, can be found in this shop on Mageleinstraat. I recommend visiting this shop just for what they can make out of chocolate. For me, it was no longer chocolate, but a work of art that also tasted great! The most popular chocolate for my taste buds is Bloody Mary. It was truly an experience and probably for me it was the best shop for chocolate in Ghent. However, a higher price has to be expected.

Vandenbouhede

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4) Chocolatier Deduytschaever

If you want to taste the very best chocolate that is still made by hand today, don't hesitate to visit this luxury chocolate shop in Ghent. This is the most expensive shop in Ghent for chocolate, but the price is redeemed by the unambiguous quality. You only come here to shop for special occasions. The price is twice as expensive as Leonidas and a third more expensive than all previous shops. However, your tongue will not experience more finesse than here. I was buying a bar of dark chocolate here, and from the first bite, I understood that I had never had a bar of dark chocolate before. The difference is marked. On the other hand, all the brands mentioned are better than what I had before.
Deduytschaever

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If you're ever in Belgium, don't forget to try the local chocolate, as it's a national heritage that the Belgians are really proud of.

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Unfortunately I don't have any photos of the chocolates because I ate them before I took the photos!

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Have a great day and don’t forget to take a walk!

Helping with translations: Deepl
Helping with grammar: Grammarly