Royal Château of Amboise

Perched on a headland overlooking the Loire, there’s a variety of ways to explore Charles VIII and François I’s château: guided tours, special family tours, go “behind the scenes of history” in the castle towers and cellars. This historical French landmark surrounded by landscaped gardens that have recently been joined by the “Naples Terrace” is also home to an incredible collection of Gothic and Renaissance furniture. The chapel houses Leonardo da Vinci’s tomb who died in Amboise. With the family, picture Charles, François and King Henri II and Catherine de Medici’s children running and laughing in the Château Royal d’Amboise…Have fun finding out how the people who made history grew up.

The royal château was built in the 15th and 16th centuries and introduced Italian style to the Loire Valley. The first garden was designed by Dom Pacello da Mercogliano from Naples in the late 15th century. It lay in the terrace extension and formed a wide alley that unfurled from the king’s lodge overlooking the river. One century later, the Royal Court left the Loire Valley to join the Seine Court so the garden was reduced to an alley with trimmed trees whilst the terrace stayed throughout the centuries. The garden’s various states have recently been brought back to life in 3D and have been at the entrance to the new “Naples Terrace” since early May 2017. The panoramic grounds received the “Jardins Remarquables” accreditation in February 2017.

Join by public transport