The Most Delicious Sweet Treats to Try on a Culture Trip

Head to the mountainous borders of Europe and Asia and you’ll discover the intoxicating country of Georgia. This place, on top of being ridiculously beautiful, is home to one of the world’s oldest cultures. This can be explore via the country’s ancient winemaking techniques and baking traditions, but those with a sweet tooth will be more interested in churchkhela. This odd-looking delicacy might look more like a sausage, or even a candle, but its actually the nation’s favourite candy, which can be found hanging in markets and shops all over the place. It’s made with grapes, fruit juice, nuts and flour, and sometimes flavoured with chocolate, raisins or more nuts. It is said that Georgian warriors used to take churchkhelas with them everywhere, due to their high calorie, energy-producing qualities. Luckily, there’s plenty of outdoor adventure on our nine-day Georgia trip, so you can burn off the calories after an afternoon spent gorging on home-baked bread and churchkhela with a local family.

We obviously couldn’t leave Italy off this list. Any trip to this food-obsessed nation is bound to feature plenty of gelato, perhaps a tiramisu or two, and certainly the odd bag of cannoli. You’ll certainly be able to sample all of the above on our 10-day tour of Italy’s most beautiful stretches of coastline, both east and west. Wherever you go in Italy will be heaven for your tastebuds, but we may admittedly peak early on this trip, since we start in Naples, arguably the best foodie city in the country. You’ll get a guided street food tour of the city on day two which, as well as obviously featuring pizza, explores the city’s long-term romance with pastries. You’ll have to sample the most famous, most beloved of them all, sfogliatella, a crunchy multi-layered puff pastry delight filled with sweet concoctions and dusted with a generous serving of icing sugar. Delicious.

Vienna is a city of sophistication. Whether it’s the grand architectural masterpieces at its centre, the remarkable musical heritage traced through its past, or an elegant art scene still thriving today, this place is class personified. That even extends to its desserts, certainly in the case of the city’s most famous chocolatey creation, the sachertorte. This indulgent cake consists of a dense chocolate sponge, a thin layer of apricot jam and an opulent coating of dark chocolate icing, usually served with a generous dollop of whipped cream. It was invented here during the 19th century, and you can try it in the place where it’s said to have originated, Hotel Sacher, which has a cafe serving the most authentic, and arguably the tastiest, sachertorte on the planet. Our Berlin to Budapest Rail Trip stops off in Vienna, where you’ll have plenty of free time to pop in. Just be prepared to queue a little – trust us, it’s worth the wait.