One of our favorite châteaus to visit - Château d'Amboise is a royal castle in the Loire Valley in Amboise, France. Built on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Loire River, it transitioned from a medieval fortress into a Renaissance palace and was a favored royal residence in the 15th and 16th centuries. The château is known for its Gothic and early Renaissance architecture and its association with notable historical figures. The history is incredible, and worth a tour with a tour guide or the self guided audio guide. One of the nicest surprises of the château, it's the Final resting place of Leonardo da Vinci: Da Vinci is buried in the Chapel of Saint-Hubert, located on the château grounds. I have visited three times and never get tired of seeing it! read more

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A beautiful chateau atop the hill overlooking the Loire river and city of Amboise. Loved learning the history and getting to visit Da Vinci's final resting place. read more

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Gorgeous castle..but one of the smaller ones and walking through was quite quick. Each room in the castle was taken over by kids on school field trips so you really can't spend much intimate time reading and learning about each room. Much of the Jardin was blocked off so we couldn't walk the gardens, and Da Vinci's tomb was also under construction and not able to be seen. Jardin was underwhelming. read more

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Amazing and gorgeous place. A must see with a tour guide. Bring your cameras and get to the top. The views are amazing especially right by the river. read more

Château d'Amboise - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me

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Such a beautiful place in a lovely city! Definitely a must-see when you are in the area! Had the perfect time to be at the rooftop around sunset. Breathtaking view. read more

Château d'Amboise - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me

So beautiful and where Leonardo da Vinci is buried ~ very very very nice informative french tour guide. The castle was beautiful and the view was so breathtaking at the top!!! It wasn't totally filled up with tourists too which was very pleasant *_* My second favorite castle I visited in France, behind chenonceaux~ read more

Amboise is slightly disappointing (compared to the other chateau's dotted around the Loire). It has a somewhat compact, squat chateau shape, in ok grounds. Nothing amazing but if you are in the area, stop by. read more

A really beautiful white chateau, situated above the small town of Amboise. The chateau is beautiful inside and houses some amazing furniture and paintings, including a collection of wonderful Winterhalter portraits of the Orleans royal family. The chateau has associations with Francois I, Mary Stuart and also Leonardo da Vinci, who died in a house nearby. Definitely worth a visit. read more

Lovely castle. My kids liked the histopads. We also enjoyed the night spectacle they had.

The Chateau d'Amboise towers over the river and town of Amboise. The kings of France lived here for 200 years before they decamped to Versailles. The chateau is very impressive as its built on a hill with huge ramparts and walls. Its a steep climb up to the grounds but worth it for the lovely views of the town and the river. While this chateau is not as grand as some of the others in the region, it is historically significant for several reasons. Its the resting place of Leonardo da Vinci as well as having connections to several kings and Marie de Medici, who was married to one king and mother to three kings. The rooms are well laid out. We used the Audio guides and found them very useful for context. The grounds are also lovely for a walk about. The gardeners were very busy the day we were there and the grounds are beautifully maintained. Amboise town is a great base to use for the region as its close to everything. We hired bikes and cycled to Chenonceau. We found several decent restaurants and bars too. read more

Amazing view on the hilltop location. They charge for children, prices are high for the size of the chateau. Nothing great, walked the entire property in 20 mins. Go to Chambord. read more

I recommend visiting Chateau d'Amboise, if you're in the Tours or Amboise area. Its a beautifully restored/maintained chateau that also has the distinction of being the burial place of the most famous Renaissance Man in history, Leonardo da Vinci. Allow yourself at least an hour or two to visit here; the chateau is large and the grounds are extensive; there is also a beautiful gardens where you could sit and enjoy a picnic lunch or sandwiches. From the ramparts of the chateau you have an excellent view of the Loire river and the medieval section of the town of Amboise. One of the intriguing and endearing unusual architectural features is the use of a paved spiral ramp design for the central tower rather than stairs, as is customary. This would have been used for bringing heavy supplies up to the main living quarters levels via horse-drawn cart. It would also be great fun to explore on foot the town around the castle, something which we did not have time to do, but would definitely include should we ever return. Leonardo da Vinci is buried on the site, in the Chapel de Saint-Hubert. If this seems strange, it is because in his retirement, he was given a stipend and house in Amboise, Château du Clos Lucé, by his patron, Charles VIII. Even though Clos Luce is over a quarter mile from Chateau d'Amboise, it is connected by a subterranean passage. You can also visit Clos Luce, which is now a da Vinci museum. Charles died here at the chateau, which was merely one of many royal residences he spent time in, after hitting his head on a door lintel. I found it fascinating to learn the history of this King of France, and his widow, Anne of Brittany; you really get a sense of how miserable and difficult (even for royalty, let alone the common person) medieval life truly was. If you've got kids, there is a great "teachable moment" to be seized in preparation for a visit to places like this, and in learning some of the personal histories of the former inhabitants of these structures. It is an opportunity to talk about the human condition and illustrate how variable that is by time and location. The medieval people strove and struggled and suffered hardships and heartbreaks and more often than not, were frustrated by illness and warfare and disappointments. It makes you appreciate the benefits of the post-Enlightenment world that much more. All these famous figures from the Renaissance period, who played a part in bringing this transformation of human civilization to fruition, did not themselves reap any of the the benefits their work and struggles enabled. It is really quite a sobering experience to walk the same piece of ground and realize how even though its the same place, everything is completely different and we live in a world so foreign it might as well be another planet. It is not something conveyed so much by the Chateau itself, as by learning about its residents. But knowing it before you visit, makes the experience that much more personal and enjoyable. read more