If you’re an ardent chocolate fan like me, or just a really enthusiastic morning-person, maybe you wouldn’t mind leaving Rome at six in the morning for a three-hour car ride north.
Of course, this isn’t just some random road trip. This is a trip north to the capital of the Umbria region – also known as the “Green Heart of Italy” – Perugia. This hilltop city dates back to the Etruscan period and was once one of the main cities, but now the city stands as a well-known cultural and artistic center! The city has also grown famous for chocolate, particularly because of the company, Perugina, whose Baci (“kisses” in English) is widely exported and very popular in Italy.
Our real journey starts with a 9:30 am tour of one of the Perugina’s largest factories here in Italy. After getting a glimpse of how two chocolatiers make chocolate and a brief overview of the company’s history, we were guided along the many machines on the factory floor, watching thousands of freshly made chocolates stream forward to be wrapped up in silver and blue stars then boxed up for shipment. Then came one of the highlights of the day; chocolate tasting! Plates of Perugina products were laid out before our little group, ranging from their new darkest chocolate brand, ‘Nero’, to their traditional Baci to their new ruby chocolate Baci. And, fun fact, the ruby is actually pink in color! Now, while I am an admirer of dark chocolate and I can appreciate the natural berry undertones that’s somehow sour yet sweet in ruby chocolate (it’s something you have to try at least once if you’re in to chocolate), I have to admit that milk chocolate will always be my greatest weakness. So, my vote goes to the classic Baci with its creamy, crushed hazelnut-filled ganache center and the whole hazelnut placed on top that’s entirely encased by a soft, smooth chocolate shell. It’s absolutely delicious!
After all of that, maybe we’d be willing to call it a day if our stomachs aren’t feeling the best… But that was just the appetizer.
Now we move on to the main event – the EuroChocolate festival!
The festival, which has been going on only since 1993, is huge – one of the largest chocolate festivals in Europe, actually. Nearly one million tourists and Italian natives visit the nine-day-long event each year! Countless difference chocolate companies, including Perugina, Lindt, Caffarel and others, partake in the festival which offers all sorts of souvenirs, chocolate tasting, chocolate art displays, street performances and even chocolate sculpting! Apparently, in recent years, someone even made an igloo out of 3,600 kilograms of chocolate bricks. That’s 7,936 pounds of chocolate, which is pretty darn close to 4 tons! And you think that’s a lot? Well, get this then, in 2003, the world’s largest chocolate bar was also made during EuroChocolate. It measured to be more than 7 meters in length (almost 23 feet long), two meters high (6.5 feet tall) and was made out of 5,980 kilograms of dark chocolate and thousands of hazelnuts. Now that’s 13,183 pounds – or if you prefer, almost 6 tons – of chocolate… Talk about a stomach-ache…
While I might not have had the chance to try every chocolate available or to see any jaw-dropping chocolate sculptures, I did spend my two hours tasting as much chocolate as I could get my hands on and wandering around some of the city’s side streets. The city’s thin, meandering streets offer a good respite from the busy main roads. And when you don’t think and just let your feet carry you along under the crowded off-white and faded terracotta apartment buildings, I think those are moments where you can just relax and appreciate the moment and experience. Then, as I’m sure you can guess, when you find a high enough point, you can take a few long minutes to gawk at the ever-breathtaking Italian countryside full of rolling green hills and distant mountains. Without a doubt, the countryside is my favorite place to escape the hustle of Rome to.
All in all, whether you’re looking to eat your weight in chocolate or to just relax in a historical city, Perugia is definitely one beautiful place to check out!
Wanderlost Notes 
Beautifully written as always. Great post!
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