Château d'Amboise
Château royal d'Amboise
A royal château overlooking the Loire River, where Leonardo da Vinci rests in the Chapel of Saint-Hubert within its grounds.
Château d'Amboise sits on a rocky slope on the south bank of the Loire. In the 15th and 16th centuries it was the main residence of kings such as Charles VIII and Francis I. Francis I spent his childhood here and invited Leonardo da Vinci to Amboise. The château was originally very large, but after the French Revolution most of it was demolished. The surviving royal residence, in Gothic and early Renaissance style, displays furniture from various periods. The huge Minimes Tower contains a spiral ramp that horses could ride up and down. The Chapel of Saint-Hubert on the château's edge is an exquisite flamboyant Gothic building, and Leonardo's tomb lies inside it. The terrace garden on the ramparts offers the best views over the Loire, the bridge and the slate roofs of the old town. Opening hours are about 09:00–17:00 to 19:00 depending on the season. Adult tickets cost about 16 euros. Below the château, the old town of Amboise has many cafés and a riverside market on Sunday mornings. From the château it is about an 8-minute walk to Clos Lucé, so the two can be combined into a half-day visit. Getting there: take a train from Paris Austerlitz or Tours to Amboise station, then walk about 15 minutes across the bridge to the château.
Opening hours
Approx. 09:00–17:00/19:00 (varies by season)
Nearby sights
- Château du Clos Lucé
- Pagode de Chanteloup
- Château de Chenonceau
- Vouvray
- Château de Chaumont-sur-Loire
- Royal City of Loches
- Tours Cathedral
- Tours Old Town