Chocolate Nation

Chocolate Nation opened its doors in January 2019, on the site near Antwerp Central Station that used to house Aquatopia. It is now a three-floor innovative experience museum with over 4,000 m² dedicated to the world-famous Belgian chocolate. In addition, it also houses a restaurant and can accommodate corporate events and teambuildings.

The new museum will put Antwerp on the map as a chocolate city. Meurisse built the country’s very first chocolate factory here in 1831. The port of Antwerp also has the largest cocoa warehouses in the world. In Chocolate Nation, visitors go on a sensory journey that starts on the equatorial cocoa plantations and then follows the journey of the cocoa bean all the way to Antwerp.

Over 10 million euros were invested to convert the former aquarium into a chocolate museum. Shareholders of the new tourist attraction include not only initiators Mickelle Haest and Jeroen Jespers, but also the families De Nolf and Claeys through their respective holdings Koinon and Cennini. PMV invested in the capital of the original start-up and provided a guarantee.