What it’s like to stay at a chocolate glamping site

Slovenia has just opened a glamping site that is ‘paradise’ for chocoholics. Cathy Toogood tried it

Slovenia has just opened a chocolate glamping site

Being covered in melted chocolate and massaged at 8.30am is not my usual Wednesday morning routine. But in Chocolate Village by the River, in northeast Slovenia, it seemed like the natural thing to do.

I’d already brushed my teeth using chocolate toothpaste (I’m yet to be convinced by this), showered using chocolate soap and shampoo, and was looking forward to a chocolate making workshop later in the day.

Opened early in November, this new resort 5km outside Slovenia’s second city, Maribor, promises to be a “paradise for true chocoholics” with accommodation in 11 lodges, from snug two-person structures in the treetops to larger four-person lodges with private hot tubs and fires.

And while the concept might sound too sickly sweet for some, the resort’s peaceful setting on the Drava River, and the attention to detail in the lodges themselves, stops it from being simply a gimmicky marketing ploy.

Arrival

Next door to the Teta Frida chocolate factory, there’s a sweet smell of chocolate in the air as you drive into the site. Lodges are named after the three types of cocoa – Forastero, Criollo and Trinitario – and guests are given a welcome pack containing a bar of chocolate made from the cocoa matching their room type. There are chocolate samples from the factory on the reception desk to get you in the mood for your stay – plus more in the lodges so you won’t go hungry.

There are 11 lodges, some set in the treetops (Chocolate Village by the River) (Chocolate village)

Setting

Every lodge has a view of the Drava River and its own outdoor seating area, so expect to wake up watching swans, herons and ducks. For winter stays, the site is 5km away from the largest ski resort in Slovenia, Mariborsko Pohorje, while for stays in warmer weather, it’s on the Drava cycling route (which runs through Italy, Austria, Slovenia and Croatia) and a short distance from the Pohorje bike park.

Accommodation

With kitchens, heating, complimentary mini-bars, TVs, robes and slippers, comfort, as well as chocolate, is key on this luxurious glamping site. As to be expected, lodges are done out in rich chocolate browns, with contrasting pops of colour from yellow chairs and geometric rugs. Floor-to-ceiling windows allow you to take in the view of the river in front, but thick curtains give privacy and create a cosy cocoon.

Lodges have floor-to-ceiling windows (Chocolate Village by the River) (Chocolate village)

The attention to detail with the chocolate theme is impressive – as well as cosmetics made just for the site, there’s locally produced chocolate gin and beer in the mini-bar, the laundry bags are marked as being for “dirty clothes: most likely chocolate stained”, and you can even get chocolate condoms.

But there’s also a more serious side and, as is common in Slovenia, eco-credentials are a top priority. The breakfast items delivered to your lodge are in reusable glass containers, all toiletries are full-sized and refillable, and bins in lodges are made of grass.

Food and drink

The site is near Slovenia’s second city, Maribor (Chocolate Village by the River) (Chocolate village)

A huge breakfast box, shaped like a mini lodge, is delivered to your door every morning. I enjoyed a Slovenian country breakfast with ingredients from local farms, including granola, heart-shaped cottage cheese, salami with champagne, bread, tomatoes and fresh fruit. There’s also the option of a healthy breakfast or a chocolate breakfast for true addicts, with items such as chocolate cheese and chocolate sausages.

There are chocolate workshops on offer (Chocolate Village by the River)

While there’s no designated restaurant onsite, there’s a café attached to the chocolate factory and a “gourmet shelter” underneath a Teletubby-style grass mound near the entrance where you can help yourself to complimentary local wine (and buy other local items). Lodges also have kitchens, making self-catering an option – but if this feels like too much effort, there’s a firepit in front of the river where a chef will cook for guests once or twice a week, as well as the option to hire a private chef if you stay in one of the larger lodges.

I enjoyed a lunch cooked at the firepit by local chef and YouTube star We Will Grill You. My mushroom ragu with buckwheat naturally had a sauce containing chocolate from the factory, and my starter of chickpea and aubergine salad came with a side order of white chocolate – surprisingly, both worked.

Activities

Experiences and workshops can be arranged by Chocolate Village staff, from chocolate-themed activities, such as a wine and chocolate pairing session with a sommelier, to tours of the local area, including wine tastings in the local vineyards and a visit to the oldest vine in the world.

Everything comes with a side order of chocolate (Chocolate Village by the River) (Chocolate village)

There’s also a small swimming pool in front of the lodges plus a sauna and outside Jacuzzi in a treehouse, which can be booked for a private three-hour slot for €80 (£68).

During a chocolate workshop with Teta Frida (€25pp), I learnt all about the chocolate making process and even made my own bar of chocolate to take home – which is harder than you think when you have to grind the beans from scratch. I also discovered that I’ve been eating chocolate the wrong way my whole life as, apparently, to appreciate all of its flavours, you should let pieces melt on your tongue rather than chewing it.

Would I go again? Well, I’m still nibbling on the chocolates I squirrelled away from my visit, so the chocolate overload hasn’t put me off the sweet stuff. And I’ve still got a tube of the chocolate toothpaste in case I change my mind about it…

Travel essentials

Getting there

EasyJet flies from London to Ljubljana from around £36 return. Maribor is 80 miles from Ljubljana and can be reached by train or hire car.

Staying there

Double rooms at Chocolate Village by the River start from €199.

chocolatevillage.eu/en