Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and you know what that means….a whole lot of chocolate. So here’s how you can incorporate that into your travels.

As legend has it, Saint Valentine himself was from Umbria. Its capital city, Perugia, is home to the chocolate makers who produce famous Baci chocolates.

Baci, by the way, means “kisses” in Italian. In addition to a factory tour and samples, you can also become a chocolatier for the day at its chocolate school.

I don’t have to tell you what Hershey, Pennsylvania is famous for. But I can tell you that they have a very cool Chocolate Lab, where you can get hands-on experience making chocolates and learning about the process from bean to bar.

Plus, since Brussels is synonymous with chocolate, it’s no wonder that it combined a walking tour with a hands-on workshop. You’ll follow a chocolate trail through the city, tasting along the way, and then work with a master chocolatier to make your own confections.

In fact, who needs Valentine’s Day? Let’s go make some chocolate.

For more information, visit the Culinary Travel archives. 

Keep reading for more travel tips.