Château d'Amboise

Where it is & how to get there

• Train: Trains from Tours (about 20 minutes) or direct from Paris Austerlitz; the château is 20 minutes on foot from Amboise station.
• By car: About 2h15 from Paris; car parks in town.
• By bike: Amboise is on the Loire à Vélo route.

The story of Amboise

Amboise was a favourite home of the French kings in the late 15th and 16th centuries. Charles VIII rebuilt it in the new Italian style, and died here in 1498 after hitting his head on a low doorway. François I grew up at Amboise and made it a centre of the Renaissance.

In 1516 François I invited Leonardo da Vinci to France. Leonardo lived his final years at the nearby manor of Clos Lucé and died in 1519; his tomb is in the Chapelle Saint-Hubert on the château grounds. In the 19th century the Algerian leader Emir Abd el-Kader was held here with his family.

Best time to visit

Tips before you go

• Combine it with Clos Lucé, Leonardo's last home, a short walk away.
• Combine the château and Clos Lucé (500 metres apart) in one day.
• The Sunday morning market on the riverfront is one of the best in the Loire Valley.

What's around Amboise

• Clos LucéLeonardo da Vinci's last home, with models of his inventions.
• Chapelle Saint-HubertGothic chapel with Leonardo's tomb.
• Pagode de ChanteloupAn 18th-century Chinese-style pagoda in a park.
• Chenonceau20 minutes away by car.

Questions travellers ask