Five suggestions for places to visit over the Easter weekend in France
With a long weekend on the horizon, you might be planning a trip. Here are our suggestions for places to visit over the Easter weekend.
Visit Provins for a medieval egg hunt
Provins is a town not far from Paris, to the north. Known for its impressive medieval architecture and high ramparts, the village was once a major trading hub.
These days, it is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is particularly worth visiting during Easter because the town organises a historical Easter egg hunt, where each child is given a map and several riddles to search for chocolate eggs across town. Children up to 12 years old can participate.
No booking is necessary, but the Provins Tourist Office advises arriving by 2pm to have enough time to participate in all of the festivities. The hunt will take place on Sunday, April 9th and Monday, April 10th from 2pm to 5pm. You can find more information HERE.
Enjoy a gigantic Easter omelette in Bessières
A tradition that goes back to Napoleonic times, thousands of locals turn out in the south western French village of Bessières to have a taste of the annual giant Easter omelette. If you are a fan of an egg-heavy Easter brunch, then this might be the location for you.
For the last 43 years, every Easter Monday, Bessières has cracked 15,000 eggs to prepare a giant omelette in honour of the holiday.
Dozens of volunteers are required, along with several kilos of duck fat and a fair amount of salt, pepper and the local piment d’Espelette pepper to the giant pot, which measures up to four metres in diameter. It typically takes about 30 to 40 minutes for the omelette to cook, and once finished it is distributed amongst the thousands of visitors who flock to Bessières to enjoy the festival.
The tradition reportedly stems from Napoleon’s visit to the town where he ate a wonderful omelette before bed, which was so nice, he ordered a huge one be made for his army to eat before they left the next morning.
Shop the Easter markets in eastern France
Alsace is known primarily for its winter Christmas markets, namely those in Strasbourg and Colmar, but if you could not attend the marchés de noël you have another opportunity. Several towns and villages across the region offer Easter, or spring markets, too.
Colmar's spring market surrounds its charming 14th century church, offering plenty of authentic Alsatian products. During Easter weekend, chocolate bunnies, eggs and the traditional "Lamala" cake (made in a lamb-shaped mould) will be sold at stands. You can learn more HERE.
If you visit eastern France over Easter, you may also notice that compared with the rest of France, most people are off work on Good Friday.
READ MORE: Why is Good Friday not a holiday in (most of) France?
The 'grand' Easter egg hunt at La Rochelle
For those looking to enjoy Easter weekend near the beach, La Rochelle is a great option.
The city also offers a 'grand chasse aux œufs' for any children who want to participate. Starting at 2:30pm at the café de la Renaissance near the town hall, children can begin the treasure hunt that will involve having to find the answers to riddles hung on windows across the city. Participation is free.
Keep in mind however, that the festivities will occur on Wednesday, April 12th, not during the Easter weekend itself.
Over the weekend, there are still many activities to take part in at La Rochelle, including events celebrating Japanese cherry blossom trees and spring time festivities. You can find more information on what to do in La Rochelle HERE.
Visit Monet's water lilies in Giverny
While many of the original water lilies paintings are located in the l'Orangerie museum near Paris' Tuileries and the Musée Marmottan Monet in the 12th arrondissement, the location that inspired them is a short distance from the capital by train or car.
Giverny, located in Normandy, is home to impressionist painter Claude Monet's former home, as well as the pond that inspired his famous water lilies series. The garden and home are open to visitors, and they are particularly known for having a wide array of flowers. The location will be open over Easter weekend, a great time to enjoy the blossoms and spring weather.
You can reserve tickets in advance HERE.
READ MORE: 11 places to visit and festivals to enjoy in France this Spring
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Visit Provins for a medieval egg hunt
Provins is a town not far from Paris, to the north. Known for its impressive medieval architecture and high ramparts, the village was once a major trading hub.
These days, it is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is particularly worth visiting during Easter because the town organises a historical Easter egg hunt, where each child is given a map and several riddles to search for chocolate eggs across town. Children up to 12 years old can participate.
No booking is necessary, but the Provins Tourist Office advises arriving by 2pm to have enough time to participate in all of the festivities. The hunt will take place on Sunday, April 9th and Monday, April 10th from 2pm to 5pm. You can find more information HERE.
Enjoy a gigantic Easter omelette in Bessières
A tradition that goes back to Napoleonic times, thousands of locals turn out in the south western French village of Bessières to have a taste of the annual giant Easter omelette. If you are a fan of an egg-heavy Easter brunch, then this might be the location for you.
For the last 43 years, every Easter Monday, Bessières has cracked 15,000 eggs to prepare a giant omelette in honour of the holiday.
Dozens of volunteers are required, along with several kilos of duck fat and a fair amount of salt, pepper and the local piment d’Espelette pepper to the giant pot, which measures up to four metres in diameter. It typically takes about 30 to 40 minutes for the omelette to cook, and once finished it is distributed amongst the thousands of visitors who flock to Bessières to enjoy the festival.
The tradition reportedly stems from Napoleon’s visit to the town where he ate a wonderful omelette before bed, which was so nice, he ordered a huge one be made for his army to eat before they left the next morning.
Shop the Easter markets in eastern France
Alsace is known primarily for its winter Christmas markets, namely those in Strasbourg and Colmar, but if you could not attend the marchés de noël you have another opportunity. Several towns and villages across the region offer Easter, or spring markets, too.
Colmar's spring market surrounds its charming 14th century church, offering plenty of authentic Alsatian products. During Easter weekend, chocolate bunnies, eggs and the traditional "Lamala" cake (made in a lamb-shaped mould) will be sold at stands. You can learn more HERE.
If you visit eastern France over Easter, you may also notice that compared with the rest of France, most people are off work on Good Friday.
READ MORE: Why is Good Friday not a holiday in (most of) France?
The 'grand' Easter egg hunt at La Rochelle
For those looking to enjoy Easter weekend near the beach, La Rochelle is a great option.
The city also offers a 'grand chasse aux œufs' for any children who want to participate. Starting at 2:30pm at the café de la Renaissance near the town hall, children can begin the treasure hunt that will involve having to find the answers to riddles hung on windows across the city. Participation is free.
Keep in mind however, that the festivities will occur on Wednesday, April 12th, not during the Easter weekend itself.
Over the weekend, there are still many activities to take part in at La Rochelle, including events celebrating Japanese cherry blossom trees and spring time festivities. You can find more information on what to do in La Rochelle HERE.
Visit Monet's water lilies in Giverny
While many of the original water lilies paintings are located in the l'Orangerie museum near Paris' Tuileries and the Musée Marmottan Monet in the 12th arrondissement, the location that inspired them is a short distance from the capital by train or car.
Giverny, located in Normandy, is home to impressionist painter Claude Monet's former home, as well as the pond that inspired his famous water lilies series. The garden and home are open to visitors, and they are particularly known for having a wide array of flowers. The location will be open over Easter weekend, a great time to enjoy the blossoms and spring weather.
You can reserve tickets in advance HERE.
READ MORE: 11 places to visit and festivals to enjoy in France this Spring
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