By Cindy Brzostowski, to Museum Spotlight Europe (January 2022)
Consider some of the things you love while on vacation: Enjoying local foods, visiting local museums… Here’s great news: you can combine your love of both, with a trip to a museum solely centered on food! All across Europe, you can find museums devoted to various items savory and sweet, giving you a deeper perspective on their history, production, and importance. And frankly, these museums give you break from the history and art museums on your itinerary. Yes, tasting opportunities are available!
The Butter Museum — Cork, Ireland
Julia Child once said, “With enough butter, anything is good.” If you wholeheartedly agree, then you’ll want to pay a visit to The Butter Museum in Cork. Not only is butter one of Ireland’s main food exports, but Ireland is one of the largest exporters of butter in the entire world (any other Kerrygold lovers out there?) You can learn all about the history of the country’s butter trade at this institution. And make sure to check out the keg of 1,000-year-old butter!
Kaasmuseum Alkmaar / Dutch Cheese Museum — Alkmaar, Netherlands
Thinking of the Netherlands conjures up images of windmills, tulips—and giant rounds of Gouda. There’s no better place to celebrate the country’s history of cheesemaking than at The Dutch Cheese Museum in Alkmaar. If you time your visit right, you’ll also be in town to visit the city’s world-famous cheese market, which has been running for centuries and occurs every Friday from April to September in the same square as the museum.
Choco-Story Brugge — Bruges, Belgium
Belgian chocolate is renowned around the world (hello Godiva), and at Choco-Story in Bruges, you can learn not just about Belgian chocolate but about chocolate production and history as a whole, dating back thousands of years. There are almost a thousand objects that make up the private museum’s collection. Visitors will also be delighted to know that they can do a chocolate tasting here as well.
Frietmuseum / Fries Museum — Bruges, Belgium
Before you leave Bruges, there’s another food museum worth checking out: the Fries Museum. While there’s still some debate about their origin, many believe that “French” fries were actually invented in Belgium, not France. At this attraction, you can learn more about the history and production of potato fries, and don’t worry—there’s a fry shop on the premises so you can easily satisfy your craving while pondering the origin debate.
Le Musée du Champignon / The Mushroom Museum — Saumur, France
Dedicated to the history of mushroom cultivation, The Mushroom Museum in Saumur boasts the largest collection of wild mushrooms in Europe. Throughout its exhibits, you’ll see familiar specimens like Button mushrooms and Shiitake along with more unusual varieties like Hare’s Ear and Trumpets of the Dead. This museum is also unique in the fact that it produces 10 tons of mushrooms every year.
Le Musée des Arts du Sucre et du Chocolat / The Museum of Sugar and Chocolate Arts — Cordes-sur-Ciel, France
Sugar and chocolate aren’t just pleasing to the palate; they can also be particularly pleasing to the eye when in the hands of a confectionary master. Opened by one such master, Yves Thuriès, the Museum of Sugar and Chocolate Arts in Cordes-sur-Ciel showcases gorgeous works of art made out of (what else but) sugar and chocolate. While the displays are for looking not eating, you will be offered a tasting to close out your visit. (Thank goodness!)
Gelato Museum Carpigiani — Anzola dell’Emilia, Italy
A trip to Italy isn’t complete without at least one scoop of gelato, so why not take the time to learn a little bit more about the decadent frozen dessert that’s so beloved? You can do so at the Gelato Museum Carpigiani in Anzola dell’Emilia. The museum features exhibits on the history, culture, and production technology of gelato. When booking your ticket, you can decide whether to add on a gelato-making lesson to your guided tour and tasting.
Museo dell’Olivo Carlo Carli / Olive Oil Museum — Imperia, Italy
Italy is one of the world’s top producers of olive oil, a product famously referred to by Homer as “liquid gold.” While surely enjoying plenty of dishes made with olive oil on your Italian vacation, make a trip to the Olive Oil Museum in Imperia to learn about the history of olives, the cultivation of olive trees, olive oil production, and more. In addition to the classic route through its exhibit rooms, the museum also offers three other thematic paths to gain a different interpretation of the artifacts.
Museo del Prosciutto di Parma / Parma Ham Museum — Langhirano, Italy
Keep your food museum tour in Italy going with a visit to the Parma Ham Museum in Langhirano. This spot explores the long tradition behind making prosciutto di Parma, the dry-cured ham with a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). When you’re done checking out the exhibits, treat yourself to a ham tasting menu at the restaurant.
Alimentarium — Vevey, Switzerland
Rather than focusing on a single food, Alimentarium in Vevey examines food through the more general lens of eating, nutrition, and diet. (Maybe go to this museum last?) Along with its exhibitions (many of which are interactive), the Nestlé-founded museum hosts tasting and cooking workshops, features an educational vegetable garden, and has an on-site restaurant serving seasonal fare. Before you go, you’ll want to snap a picture of the famous, giant fork statue in the lake, right in front of the museum.
Schokoladen Museum / The Chocolate Museum — Cologne, Germany
Chocoholics have another museum to add to their bucket list: The Chocolate Museum in Cologne. Here, you can see what the chocolate production process is all about, from the cocoa tree to the chocolate factory, as well as explore the long history of cocoa. Aside from the exhibits, more entertainment comes from the museum’s three-meter-tall chocolate fountain and the chocolate workshop where you can make your own chocolate bar.
Muzeum Toruńskiego Piernika / The Museum of Toruń Gingerbread — Toruń, Poland
The city of Toruń is famous for its gingerbread, and so it’s fitting that while you’re there you can see the Museum of Toruń Gingerbread. During your visit, you’ll be able to learn more about the history and production of this traditional gingerbread, and participate in a gingerbread-making class. You’d be wise to plan your trip on a Wednesday since that’s when admission to the permanent exhibitions is free.
Museu do Pão / Museum of Bread — Seia, Portugal
It’s all about bread, bread, and more bread at the Museum of Bread in Seia. This private museum examines Portuguese bread from a multitude of perspectives from the political to the religious to the artistic. When you get hungry from all that learning, head to the on-site restaurant where you can finally dig into some bread for yourself.
Alimentarium, Food Museum, Switzerland / © William Gammuto
Caroline Houlmann
