I don’t know about you, but I am REALLY looking forward to the long Easter weekend. Easter Sunday can mean different things to different people – for some it is a religious day, for others time to spend with family and for others a holiday to enjoy spring. Unfortunately the weather forecast for the coming days doesn’t look great, but there are still a few things to do in Brussels this Sunday.
If you have kids and are willing to bear the lower temperatures, why not join the world’s largest Easter egg hunt? Starting at 3pm on Sunday, children are invited to search for one of the 500,000 chocolate eggs to be hidden throughout ten different parks in Brussels.
Locations include Astrid Park (Anderlecht), Bois de la Cambre (Brussels), Sobieski Park (Laeken), Cinquantenaire (Etterbeek), Duden Park (Forest), de l’Aulne Park (Ixelles), Pierre Paulus Park (Saint-Gilles), Square Henri Frick (Saint-Josse-ten-Noode), Wolvendael Park (Uccle) and Tournay-Solvay Park (Watermael-Boitsfort). The event is free of charge and open to everyone. Wolvendael park in Uccle will also host various activities for children such as workshops, face paintings and games.
If searching for chocolate among the trees won’t cut it for you, here are my suggestions for some of the best places to buy Easter chocolate in Brussels.
The new La Maison des Maîtres Chocolatiers on the Grand Place has a wide selection from ten master Belgian chocolate makers. The shop has a cool interior compared to the touristy location and some unique, artisanal products on offer, but I have to admit I’m kind of scared of the giant chocolate baby in the display.
Pierre Marcolini is the haute couture of Belgian chocolate and always makes a good gift. Located at the bottom of the Grand Sablon square, this beautiful shop has elegantly displayed pralines, truffles and bars, as well as a special collection for Easter.
I think Neuhaus provides the best value for quality chocolate and supposedly is the inventor of the Belgian praline. It was founded in 1857 by Swiss Jean Neuhaus with a first shop in the Galerie de la Reine. The original store is still there, along with many other locations around Brussels. They always have a good selection of Easter chocolates.
If you want to stay indoors, a number of museums will be open despite the public holiday, including some of my favorites – the Coudenberg underground palace ruins, the Musical Instrument Museum, the Comic Strip Museum and the Magritte Museum. The new Stanley Kubrick exhibition will also be open on Sunday and Monday.
For those interested in religious services, there are several Catholic churches around Brussels as well as English-language congregations of various faiths. See here for a list of French/Flemish services and here for a list of English-speaking churches in Brussels.
Wishing you a Happy Easter weekend!
Images via Visit Brussels, La Maison des Maitres Chocolatiers, Pierre Marcolini, Neuhaus and Cathedral Saint Michel.
