Traveling Exhibition of the Chocolate Museum Zagreb
Today, chocolate is one of the most loved sweets in the world – an everyday pleasure that connects people of all generations, cultures and continents. But the journey that this sweet food has gone through from its origins in the rainforests of South America to modern chocolate factories in Belgium and Switzerland has been long, exciting and full of twists and turns. The exhibition From Bean to Chocolate: A Journey through Time, which is a traveling exhibition of the Chocolate Museum Zagreb, set up in the Croatian Museum of Tourism, takes visitors through more than five thousand years of chocolate history – from the first cocoa drink to the famous chocolate brands that we know and love today.
Beginnings – food of the gods
The story of chocolate begins in the rainforests of the western region of present-day Ecuador, in the Chinchipe River Valley, where the Mayo-Chinchipe culture flourished around 3,500 BC. It was its members that were the first in human history to cultivate the cacao tree and prepare beverages from its beans – thousands of years before the Mayans and Aztecs. The cacao tree—which the Swedish scientist Carl Linnaeus would later call Theobroma cacao – food of the gods—became the basis for the story of a beverage that symbolizes power, wealth and pleasure.
Over the following centuries, cacao was prized by the great civilizations of Mesoamerica. The Mayans drank it hot, often flavored with chili and vanilla, while the Aztecs enjoyed it more as a cold beverage, reserved for nobility, warriors, and merchants. Cacao beans also served as currency – as valuable as gold. Although their recipes differed, they shared their reverence for the beverage that connected the earthly and divine worlds.
Arrival of chocolate in Europe
In the 16th century, chocolate arrived in Europe thanks to Hernán Cortés and the Spanish conquistadors. Although they came in search of gold, they found an even more precious treasure in the New World – cocoa. At first, it was a closely guarded secret of the Spanish court that was reserved for the nobility. It was not until the early 17th century, thanks to the marriage of the French King Louis XIII and the Spanish Princess, Anne of Austria, that chocolate crossed borders and quickly became the favorite drink of the European aristocracy.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, chocolate was synonymous with luxury and opulence. It was drunk from expensive porcelain, enriched with spices and sugar, while in England, it spread among the bourgeoisie through the so-called chocolate houses – the first chocolate houses that became the centers of social life. However, the real revolution did not come until the 19th century.
Birth of modern chocolate
The Industrial Revolution brought a turning point. Technological inventions of the Dutch innovator Conrad van Houten enabled the separation of cocoa butter and dry matter, which was the basis for the production of modern chocolate. In 1848, the English company J. S. Fry & Sons produced the first chocolate bar, and just a few decades later, Daniel Peter created the first milk chocolate. The Swiss Rudolf Lindt introduced the conching process, which gave chocolate its distinctive creamy texture, while, in the early 20th century, Toblerone, Neuhaus, and other companies shaped the modern pralines and chocolates we know today.
Chocolate became available to everyone. It was no longer a privilege of kings, but a favorite delicacy of both children and adults. It became a symbol of pleasure, love and small everyday joys – a status it retains even today.
Chocolate in Croatia
The story of chocolate in Croatia begins in 1896, when the first industrial plant for the production of chocolate and cocoa was established in Rijeka. It was the large Rijeka Cocoa and Chocolate Factory, known for its Slon and Adria brands of chocolate. In 1911, the Union factory was founded in Zagreb. It soon became the royal court supplier and a symbol of quality. This was followed by the Bizjak, Grič, Kandit, Zvečevo, and Kraš factories, which marked the 20th century and created recognizable brands – from Bajadera to Životinjsko carstvo. Croatia thus became part of the European chocolate tradition and also an important actor of it.
The exhibition displays more than 150 objects – porcelain cups and dishes for making chocolate, old tools, molds, advertisements, postcards, and packaging’s. Through them, not only the history of chocolate is interpreted, but also the history of everyday life – from humble lives of indigenous American tribes to the luxury of European courts. A special segment is dedicated to packaging design, from elegant chocolate boxes with reproductions of works of art to colorful dispensers that also served as toys.
Each object in the exhibition bears witness to the time from which it comes – to the tastes, habits, and imagination of generations that found joy in consuming chocolate and chocolate preparations.
Complete your knowledge of the story of chocolate by visiting the exhibition Opatija’s Dream of Rijeka’s Slon Chocolate about the Rijeka Cocoa and Chocolate Factory, set up at the Café Strauss at the Bellevue Hotel (Ul. Maršala Tita 144-148, Opatija). The author of the exhibition is Velid Đekić and it is organized by the Rijeka City Museum.
Events within the exhibition From Bean to Chocolate: A Journey through Time:
Demonstration workshop on 7 November at 12 pm
Ružica Božić Cerovac (Chocolate Museum Zagreb), workshop leader
The Art of Hand Tempering of Chocolate and Making Pralines
Free admission with a purchased exhibition ticket.
Workshop for children on 15 November at 11 am
Ružica Božić Cerovac (Chocolate Museum Zagreb), workshop leader
Little Gourmets: A Chocolate Decorating Workshop
Price: 10 euro per person
Workshop for adults on 15 November at 4 pm
Ružica Božić Cerovac (Chocolate Museum Zagreb), workshop leader
Tempering Chocolate at Home: The Demonstration of Making Pralines and a Chocolate Tempering at Home
Price: 10 euro per person
Lecture on 11 December 2025 at 6 pm
Domagoj Ilija Cerovac (Chocolate Museum Zagreb)
The History of Chocolate with Tasting
A lecture on the history of chocolate will cover topics from the discovery of this foodstuff in a region of present-day Ecuador to the popularization of chocolate and its transformation during industrialization. Attendees will have the opportunity to taste seven forms of chocolate that follow the eras of its development as well as experience the history of chocolate with their own palates.
Entry ticket: 5 euro
Lecture on January 15, 2026 at 6 pm
Velid Đekić
With Rijeka’s Slon, Life is a Chocolate, a lecture on the Rijeka Cocoa and Chocolate Factory
The Rijeka Cocoa and Chocolate Factory appeared on the list of the city’s industrial facilities in 1896, fitting into the strong economic boom of Rijeka at the turn of two centuries. The Factory’s biography included the production of chocolate bars, pralines, cocoa powder, cakes, slices, and similar snacks. Its most famous product brand reached the hands of customers under the names Riječka Čokolada Slon and Riječka Čokolada Adria. The factory advertised its own product range with attractive and diverse posters and colored postcards.
Educational and entertaining workshops for children (5-10)
Christmas Tales and Face Painting – 30 November 2025 at 11 am
Search for the Treasure of St. Nicholas – 6 December 2025 at 11 am
Advent Pastry Shop – 14 December 2025 at 11 am
Christmas Table – 20 December 2025 at 11 am
Workshop and exhibition visit for the elderly:
Making Christmas Decorations, 1 December 2025 at 11 am
Entertainment Quiz: Do You Remember…?, 19 January 2026 at 11 am
Expert guided tours of the exhibition: 26 November, 3 December 2025, 21 January 2026, at 5 pm
Expert guided tours of the exhibition are free with the purchase of a ticket and prior notification by email: [email protected], or by phone at 051 706 470, 051 603 636
Registration for workshops is mandatory.
Smells, Colors, Tales and Tasting… Who Says History Can’t Be Delicious?
Working hours: 10 am – 6 pm
Closed on Mondays and holidays.
Organization, Publishers: Croatian Museum of Tourism in Opatija and Chocolate Museum Zagreb
For Publishers: Nataša Ivančević, Ružica Božić Cerovac
Editor: Nataša Ivančević
Exhibition Curator: Marko Španjol
Exhibition Display: Marko Španjol
Design and Graphic Prepress: Wanda Design
Media Promotion: Ivan Modrić
English Translation: Danko Skukan
Proofreading: Dijana Stanić-Rešicki
Print: Tiskara Sušak
Croatian Museum of Tourism
Park Angiolina 1, Opatija
www.hrmt.hr
