Royal Château of Amboise

The Royal Château of Amboise is a palace built delicately above the river, with gardens stretching from the earth to the sky. It is a perfect example of the Loire châteaux.
The former medieval fortress on a rocky spur also provides a great view over the town of Amboise. During the reign of King Charles VIII, and then under Louis XII and Francis I, the castle was transformed into a royal residence. It played host to the French court during the Renaissance and attracted artists to the Loire valley from all over Europe, including Leonardo da Vinci. The Italian genius spent the last three years of his life here, as a guest of King Francis I. Although he lived in the neighbouring château of Clos Lucé, Leonardo da Vinci is buried in the Royal Château of Amboise. Each year, visitors from all over the world come to see his tomb in the beautiful Saint Hubert chapel.
The Royal Château of Amboise boasts an exceptional collection of furniture, illustrating the artistic refinement of the early French Renaissance. In each room of the residence, important episodes in the history of France are evoked. Visitors can also enjoy astonishing architecture, like the Minimes Tower and the Heurtault Tower, with its riders' access ramp, enabling horseriders to enter the château without dismounting. HistoPad tablets are available at the front desk to enhance your visit.
Outside, the Naples Garden was the first Renaissance garden in the Loire valley. There are plenty of other landscaped areas adding beauty to the site, such as the Orient garden, preserving the memory of the four years that Emir Abdelkader and members of his family spent in captivity in Amboise. In the park's avenues, you will no doubt come across one of the 80 bird species that have made their home here. The environmental policy launched a few years ago has been given official recognition through the LPO (French Bird Protection League) refuge label since 2019.
The Château d'Amboise belongs to the Saint-Louis foundation.
On site there is a tea room, shop and a reception or seminar area. Sound and light shows in summer.
Geographic location: in the east of Indre-et-Loire. By car: 30 minutes from Tours, 2 hours 30 min from Paris, 40 minutes from Saint-Aignan (Beauval Zoo).