Chocolate Festival in Opatija

Have you ever been to a chocolate festival? I’ve visited a chocolate museum in Prague and a chocolate factory in Austria but it was only this year that I went to the Chocolate  festival in Opatija, Croatia for the first time.

Opatija is a lovely seaside town in the Kvarner Bay and the oldest tourist destination in Croatia. Many counts and earls and kings frequented Opatija during the Austro-Hungarian empire (19th ct)  when Opatija was the favourite spot for many noblemen. It definitely deserves more attention from the travellers nowadays.

Opatija, Croatia
Advent Wreath in Opatija

The Chocolate festival was held at the first weekend in December (2-4.12.2016) for the eleventh time. Every year the main part of the festival is held in the oldest hotel in Opatija, Hotel Kvarner. However, the chocolate festivities are spread around the whole town including its beautiful parks. There are special menus at restaurants and cafes too. You can also enjoy chocolate wellness & spa programmes at Opatija’s hotels.

My husband and I decided to visit the festival on its last day, Sunday, so we missed seeing the biggest chocolate since it was already half-eaten. We went straight to the Crystal Hall of the Hotel Kvarner to see the many stalls offering their chocolate specialties. Most vendors were from Croatia and there were a few from Slovenia too. I must say I expected to see some Italian chocolate makers too but they weren’t present. Also, I thought there would be more free samples but only a few vendors offered their goods for free tasting. Nevertheless, there were a lot of exquisite chocolate products. Some looked too good to be eaten!! There was also one stall where the chocolatier made pralines so you could see the whole process. The best part was that everything he made was up for free testing!That was the best stall of the whole chocolate festival! The centerpiece of the entire hall was the largest chocolate of the festival but since the festival started on Friday by the time we came there was less than half of it to be seen! We’ve also visited the newest chocolate shop in town Milenij Choco World. Afterwards I had the winter ice-cream at one of Opatija’s Christmas market 🙂 Then we went to the ice-skating ring and its Christmas market where we enjoyed some mulled wine, sausages and fritule ( a Croatian sweet pastry). It was a rather choco-wonderful day!:)

Here are a few photos from the chocolate festival…

Opatija
Hotel Kvarner, Opatija

Chocolate Festival Opatija

Chocolate Festival, Opatija
the remains of the largest chocolate

chocolate festival in Opatija

chocolate festival in Opatija

chocolate festival in Opatija

in Milenij Choco World Shop a chocolate building was being made
in Milenij Choco World Shop a chocolate building was being made
Milenij Choco World shop
Milenij Choco World shop
Christmas market in Opatija
Christmas market in Opatija

Tell me, are you a chocoholic too?

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66 thoughts

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  5. I wonder if you can soak in chocolate at the spa for the chocolate festival? 😉

    Either way, that chocolate looks amazing! Did the festival cost to attend? I hope you got plenty of praline samples! 🙂

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  7. Never been to a festival like that! Would love to go to one. There is a chocolate tour in Los Angeles. Maybe I should start by doing one. #citytripping

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  12. I’ve been to a couple of chocolate festivals but nowhere as lovely sounding as Opatija. I’ve read a bit about it and it always sounds so pretty. Glad there were a few tastings, definitely the best part of a chocolate festival! Thanks for linking up with #citytripping

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  13. Everyone who has been to Croatia raves about how pretty and interesting a country it is! I haven’t been and it is very high on my bucket list. I can’t think of anything easier to get a kid to want to experience than a chocolate festival!!! That sounds awesome. 🙂

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  24. I love the look of that Christmas Cake! I’d much prefer that to the traditional fruit cake we have in the UK – I always make a chocolate meringue for Christmas Day instead. I’d be gutted if I went to a chocolate festival and there weren’t lots of freebies! These all look gorgeous. Thanks for making us all hungry on #FarawayFiles

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  29. Wow Tanja this is the perfect festival for you! You can never have too much good chocolate. I am definitely a fan of dark chocolate and I find most of the normal bars too sweet but usually at festivals like these you find the quality artisan chocolate. Thanks for sharing with us on #FarawayFiles

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  32. I must get to one of these chocolate festivals. I’m surprised the Italian chocolate makers were not present: they’re very good and Italian producers usually travel to these things. I love discovering new types of chocolate, in fact it’s one of the first things I do in a new country…..

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