Pâques (Easter) in Paris

Pâques (Easter and Passover) in Paris is all about chocolate, easter eggs, and fun activities for children. Windows of chocolate shops are lined with ornate chocolate eggs, some the size of American footballs, for sale (and eating) during the holiday. This year, chocolate shops have a safari theme, with chocolates in the shapes of hippos, giraffes and lions. Top chocolate shops, including Maison du Chocolate, A La Mere de Famille, Jean Paul Hevin, all have different creations, with ornate eggs, chocolate chickens and other hand-crafted chocolate pieces that are available only during Easter.

For activities, myriad Easter egg hunts will be held at various locations on April 4 and 5. The Conciergerie, the former prison that once housed Marie-Antoinette, will hold an Easter egg hunt on April 4 and it is not to be missed. Imagine that — your little ones snooping around for eggs in the same corridors where Marie-Antoinette’s prison cell is preserved. This is where she and others lived their last days before Robespierre carried out the sentences (Robespierre’s cell and ladder are in the same building – once the French had enough of his tyranny they turned the tables on him). Activities at other national monuments may be found online.