Zotter Chocolate Factory: A World of Experience for Chocolate Lovers
The Zotter chocolate factory in Styria offers visitors a unique world of chocolate experiences. On a guided tour of the factory, you will learn everything about the production of fair trade organic chocolate and can try various chocolate creations at numerous tasting stations. A highlight is the adjacent "Edible Zoo", an organic farm that combines sustainable agriculture with enjoyment.
Short info:
- Where is the Zotter Manufactory located? Bergl 56, 8333 Riegersburg, not far from the Riegersburg
- What is there to see there? More for tasting. The Zotter chocolate production with tasting and a zoo
- How much time should I plan for? 3-4 hours minimum
- What is special about Zotter? 100 % Organic Fair Trade Chocolate with unusual varieties
- How much does it cost to enter and what are the opening hours? Here you can find all prices and opening hours
The Zotter Chocolate Factory – A Paradise for Families
Some people might ask why we include a chocolate factory in our travel guide? The Zotter factory is a real day trip paradise for families with children. Almost 200,000 people come here every year. As part of a tour, you can eat chocolate until you burst and then go on an adventure hunt in the zoo. But more on that later.
Zotter General
Zotter chocolate is mainly known in German-speaking countries. The family business was founded in Styria in 1987. From the very beginning, great importance was placed on organic and fair trade. With over 500 different types of chocolate, the company now has an annual turnover of over 29 million euros. Around 400 different organic ingredients are used. This of course does not mean that the chocolate is cheap, starting at around €4.10 for a small 70g bar.
The varieties
At Zotter you can find pretty much everything you can't imagine. Of course there are also a few traditional varieties, but Zotter is known for its unusual creations, such as:
- algae
- caramel / pineapple
- firewood chips
- Indian banana from South Tyrol
- sea buckthorn & quince
- Beer & Malt Brittle
- Brown Butter Toffee
- Cola & Popcorn
- Hemp & Apricot
- Swiss stone pine & cranberry
… and many more!
The Zotter Adventure World – our experience report
First things first: you should definitely reserve tickets in advance. It can get extremely busy on weekends, public holidays and during school holidays! 20 minutes before the tour starts, we park our vehicle in the huge but full car park. It takes a while until we finally get through the crowds to the entrance. But we get there on time.
The tour begins with the film "A Cocoa Journey Around the World". Here you can learn interesting facts about the production of cocoa and the production at Zotter. We were particularly impressed by the fact that some of the cocoa is transported by sailing ship from Belize to Hamburg, which makes it particularly sustainable. Fair trade and organic play a major role in all production steps. The film can be a bit long-winded for children, but overall it is entertaining.
The interesting part of the tour
After the film, the really exciting part of the tour begins. At the beginning, you see chocolate in its raw state - different types of cocoa beans from different countries of origin that you can taste. Various types of sugar and milk are also available for tasting. You can even try freshly roasted organic coffee beans. How long you spend at each station is entirely up to you!
A tip: don't overdo it - the best is yet to come. The station with the vegan chocolate fountains was particularly exciting for us. Vegan milk chocolate alternatives and purely plant-based white chocolate coatings flow here. Another highlight are the bubbling chocolate fountains in flavors such as caramel, raspberry, currant and white chocolate.
Experience chocolate production live
The tour continues through corridors with plexiglass walls, through which you can watch the chocolate production process up close. Every few meters, new tasting stations with creative types of chocolate await you. We found the Praline Roller Coaster particularly entertaining - organic praline balls roll down a small track at the push of a button, and you can simply take them out and enjoy.
The 8-cylinder nougat pump, where you can try eight different types of liquid nougat, is also a special highlight. If you're already feeling sick, you should go to the "leaf salad buffet" - but this is wafer-thin chocolate bars in various varieties. If you're still feeling sick, the "CHOCOshot" station might help, where you can try liquid praline fillings from syringes.
The end of the tour
At the end, there are different types of drinking chocolate. The tour ends, as expected, in the shop. After about 1.5 hours of chocolate tasting, we've had enough - even our kids don't want to eat anything else. After so much chocolate, we desperately need some exercise. Luckily, Zotter thought of that too.
Edible Zoo
Behind the chocolate factory there is a large zoo, which is included in the entrance fee. Old local animal breeds live here, such as shaggy cattle, water buffalo, pigs, chickens, sheep, rabbits, goats, llamas, alpacas, ostriches, fallow deer and more. Some of the animals can be fed in the petting zoo.
The spacious playground is an absolute highlight for children. A climbing playground, a playing field, water wheel games and more ensure plenty of variety. If you are travelling with children, you should plan at least two hours for the zoo. On the way back to the factory there is the "Zotter Cemetery", where you can find types of chocolate that didn't make it - like cinnamon crackers, cigar brandy or pig's blood.
A visit to the Zotter Chocolate Factory is highly recommended if you are in the area. You can eat more than enough chocolate and it is an unforgettable experience for children!
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