The beginning of the Holiday Season - Lindt Style

Last Monday, I randomly got an idea to see if we could go check out the Lindt factory. I had seen a big Lindt sign on a building in Zurich, so thought it might be an easy adventure. My timing was impeccable. There was an announcement on their webpage - on Tuesday (the next day), the factory would welcome the holiday season with the lighting of the factory. That morning (Tuesday), we got our first snow in Fehraltorf, so it seemed like it really was time to bring on the holidays. We had to go after my German class, so didn't get there until about 8:30 pm, but there was still plenty happening...

The factory is actually a bit outside of Zurich, on the Zurich Sea (not where I had seen the sign in Zurich), but still very easy to get to. Later, one of my office mates told me that growing up, the rowing team she was on used to row past the factory... torture for a rower! When we got there, they had Christmas images projected up on the factory that changed every few minutes. There were Christmas carols (all in English) blasting out of speakers. There were people dressed in white chef's hats and smocks with shopping carts filled with Lindt Santa Claus, reindeer, and bars... for free!

The building lit up with the three Wise Men to the left.

Look at all of that candy!

In the back was a little 'market' with food vendors. We settled for gluhwein (our first of the season) and raclette. Raclette is a Swiss cheese dish, to be eaten in the colder seasons. They heat the top of a big round 'block' of cheese, and scrap it off onto a plate. Then they add a few boiled potatoes, and you can garnish with small pickled onions or pickles. Finally, you sprinkle seasonings on if you like (so far, we have only tried black pepper and paprika). It sounds so simple, but Ohhhhh, is it yummy.

In the front, there were several little cabins set up with big open windows for your viewing pleasure. Inside the cabins were chocolatiers making different products. Hot chocolate with real melted chocolate added (best hot chocolate I have ever had), covered nuts (cardamon, yummy), truffles (really fun to watch the chocolatier with the big copper kettle in front of him dipping the chocolates and then decorating them), and molded chocolates (Santa Claus was the focus tonight). We made the rounds to all of these twice. The first time to get our free samples (like kids in a candy store), and the second time to slow down, watch and film what they were doing for a video (and for another set of free samples). On the second go round, the lady making molded Santa Clauses gave me one, wrapped up in a paper napkin. Cool!

Making molded Santa Clauses... and having fun!

Decorating chocolates...

Watch the Video!! A Lindt Christmas with the Sofields...