Built high above the Loire River in central France, the Château d'Amboise was a favorite castle of many kings. It was here that Leonardo da Vinci was a guest of King Francis I while he worked at nearby Clos Lucé, connected to the château by an underground passage. Da Vinci's tomb is in the chapel of Saint-Hubert.The castle dates back to the 1400s and much was destroyed during the French Revolution. Today one can see about one-fifth of the original palace built by Charles VIII, the grand towers, the beautiful gardens, and a panoramic view of the lovely Loire Valley.
Only part of the Amboise Château, which was originally four times its present size, has been preserved. On the north side, facing the river, the building is supported by massive buttresses, above which rises the richly articulated facade of the Château with the iron railings of the balcony, flanked by two imposing round towers, the Tour des Minimes (with a spiral ramp up which horses could be ridden) and the Tour Hurtault.
See all points of interest on this map of Amboise Château. Watch this slideshow video to get an overall view of the chateau and the area.
