Easter city breaks - Paris, Brussels or Lille

Escape the English Easter Bunny and head to Paris, Brussels or Lille for a continental Easter.  Easter is a two day holiday in France and Belgium, it covers Easter Sunday and Easter Monday but when you're going from the UK you can also use Good Friday for your trip too!

What's open?
While most businesses, museums, and monuments in Paris, Brussels and Lille keep their regular hours during Easter weekend, some close for part or all of the Easter holiday.  You can check Paris, Brussels and Lille museums and monuments that are open over Easter.

Stunning churches
There are numerous Easter Church services in all three destinations, which give you the opportunity for sight-seeing as well as maybe attending a service.  In Paris there is Sacre-Coeur and Notre-Dame. Then if you want to see the 5th largest church in the world, in Brussels, take a trip to the Basilique National du Sacre-Coeur. Or in Lille, don't miss the Notre-Dame de la Treille Cathedral as the white exterior marble reveals a surprising orange-pink colour inside.

Easter egg hunts
If you're after some fantastic Easter egg hunts then the The Chateau Vaux Le Vicomte would make a great visit for the whole family. Just outside Paris, their Easter Egg Hunt is held on both Sunday April 8th and Monday April 9th. Not only do that have egg hunts starting every 40 minutes, there are also a number of free workshops and activities such as making chocolate, origami, face painting, and more. Another option close to Paris is the marvellous Disneyland Paris.  Apart from all the fantastic rides, from 19th March - 8th April  there will be Easter egg painting, Easter's Big Dipper, Easter egg hunts in Alice's curious labyrinth and special Easter shows.

If you're after some Easter egg hunts in Belgium, just outside of Brussels you can visit Les Pays des Castors which is an animal park dedicated to beavers. Remember to bring your boots if you want to hunt for eggs amongst the beavers!  Another hunt will be taking place in Garcet park in Brussels.

Delicious chocolates
Don't forget, that in Belgium, it's sometimes said that the Bells of Rome bring the Easter Eggs. The story goes that the bells of every church leave for Rome on Saturday which is called "Stille Zaterdag" which means "Silent Saturday" in Dutch. Then they return on Sunday with eggs... chocolate eggs hopefully and what better place to find delicious chocolate eggs than Brussels, being home to so many chocolate shops you really won't believe it!  One of the most famous of these shops is Neuhaus which has now been making the finest chocolate for 150 years, so look out for their shops with amazing window displays.

If chocolate doesn't bother you then how about visiting one of the biggest markets in France?  Head to the the Wazemmes market in Lille, for food, flowers, fabrics, and exotic products and a different kind of Easter gift!