Berlin
Double-choc heaven
Chocolate emporium Fassbender and Rausch is a chocoholics' haven that offers plenty in the way of eye candy, too.
Enormous chocolate sculptures of Berlin landmarks are a definite crowd-pleaser, and the vast assortment of individual chocolates, truffles and pralines is the stuff of legend.
If you're going to pick out your own selection, be warned: with over 200 varieties on offer, the decision-making process can take forever, and it may just be easier to opt for some beautifully pre-packaged goodies.
All in all, an edible Disneyland - but few realise that Fassbender and Rausch also offers behind-the-scenes tours of its factory, where you can gaze through glass as teams of chocolatiers add finishing touches to trays of toothsome treats.
Granted, the plant isn't exactly well-placed for easy access, and while some will relish the opportunity to see how their favourite candies are produced, others will find the laboratory-like conditions something of a mystique-buster.
More satisfying for everyone, perhaps, is the fact that there's also a factory outlet store on site, where you can pick up slightly-less-than-perfect Fassbender and Rausch products at mouthwateringly low prices.
Further facts
Fassbender & Rausch are one of the very few high-profile Berlin stores you'll find open on a Sunday.
Fassbender & Rausch chocolate shop, café and restaurant: Charlottenstraße 60
10117 Berlin. Shop opening times: Mon to Sat, 10 am-8 pm; Sun 11am-8pm. Café: Mon to Sun, 11 am-8pm. Restaurant: Mon-Fri 12am-7pm
Fassbender & Rausch factory and factory outlet: Wolframstraße 95-96,
12105 Berlin. Opening times: Mon to Fri, 10 am-6 pm. Sat 10am-2 pm.
