Wonderful self guided tour of the home of Leonardo Da Vinci. The brochures are explanatory and…read moresome of the amazing inventions of this genius are displayed. All we need in this world is a living Leonardo Da Vinci! Nice gift shop, refreshments available, friendly staff, nice gardens. It's quite a hike up a hill from the parking area, and the one way streets are very narrow. I do not recommend trying to drive to the top.

The chateau where Leonardo da Vinci spent happy & productive last years of his life. Here his…read morememory shines through the chateau & the gardens, from his bedroom, studios, kitchen & an extensive presentation of his art, inventions & writings. In the garden grounds of particular interest is the unique Pigeon House. And nearby, don't miss the restaurant at the old priory, Auberge du Prieure. This restaurant offers a taste of French Renaissance cuisine set in typical interiors of the period & staff in Renaissance costume. It's an ideal way to end the tour.

We visited Caves Duhard between Chateau Chenonceau and Cateau Chambord and it was a great…read moreexperience. Very interesting tour and wine tasting. We purchased a case of great 2015 Bourgueil, 2016 Vouvray and a fantastic 1989 Vouvray. They delived it to New Jersey in two weeks, every bottle in perfect condition. Great place, great wine, great experience! We will be ordering more wine soon! Nous avons visité les Caves Duhard entre Château Chenonceau et Château Chambord et ce fut une expérience formidable. Visite très intéressante et dégustation de vin. Nous avons acheté une caisse de grand Bourgueil 2015, Vouvray 2016 et un fantastique Vouvray 1989. Ils l'ont livré au New Jersey en deux semaines, chaque bouteille en parfait état. Super endroit, bon vin, super expérience! Nous commanderons plus de vin bientôt!

The Château de Chenonceau is a historic French castle known as the "Château of the Ladies" due to…read moreits influential female owners throughout its years. Located in the Loire Valley, it is famous for its elegant architecture, which includes a gallery built over the River Cher. The château features rich Renaissance furniture, tapestries, and master paintings. This Château also paved a pivotal roll during g WWII as its walls helped move Jews out of occupied France to free France during the war. It also has a unique connection to the Ponte Vecchio bridge in Florence, Italy. You'll have to visit to find out more. Additionally, the château's iconic gallery was built across the River Cher as an add on to the existing Château. Its interiors are richly decorated with works by artists such as Tintoretto, Rubens, and Van Dyck. Notable rooms include the bedchambers of Diane de Poitiers, Catherine de' Medici, and Louise de Lorraine. The gardens are exquisitely decorated and it's worth spending some time in them. You will need to book your tickets in advance as this Château is one of the most visited and they need it to control the flow of visitors. Be aware it also takes some time to travel, and once parked, to get to the Château (about a 20 minute walk). Enjoy this visit. I have seen it three or four times and always enjoy it!

This French castle spanning the River Cher is an opulent chateau in the Loire Valley of France…read more Built in 1513 to 1517 by Thomas Bohier for his wife Catherine Biconnet. This stunning Renaissance and Gothic architecture is the style of the women who owned and shaped it. The formal gardens are exquisite. The powerful ladies of the Chateau also included Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Medici. The present day owners are the Menier family, famous for their chocolate. In 1539, King Francis the 1st acquired the estate. Later, King Henry the 2nd decided to offer it to the Queen. Our tour started with a wine tasting of three different wines actually grown on the estate. The fairytale like castle and the story of Rapunzel and Sleeping Beauty may have been the inspiration. The rooms and the kitchen in the basement are well preserved. It was a lovely experience.

This chateau here is one of the most beautiful in the Loire Valley. Really picture perfect example…read moreof a fairytale castle. Easy to access with parking closeby. Public restrooms, restaurants, many exhibitions, a wonderful park with valley views and amazing gardens. Well worth the entrance fee of 20 Euros. There's lots to see and do. The castle was built as it is today in the late 15th / early 16th Century. But was originally founded in the 10th century. Protected as a monument historique since 1840, the château was given into state ownership in 1938 and is now open to the public. It belonged to the Amboise family for five centuries. Pierre d'Amboise unsuccessfully rebelled against King Louis XI and his property was confiscated, and the castle was dismantled on royal order in 1465. It was later rebuilt by Charles I d'Amboise from 1465 to 1475 and then finished by his son, Charles II d'Amboise de Chaumont. The chateau itself is such a wonderful sight. And despite many visitors it's easy possible to get some great views and pictures of it. The grounds are very big, so it never feels crowded. It's just a beautiful piece of art and history. Besides the chateau there is a wonderful park area with picnic spots, many options to sit down and rest to enjoy the views of the castle and the valley. Makes a lovely circular walk through the park. Then there are the gardens. An amazing place - with its many paths and ways it feels like a maze at times. Nice to just wander around and to get lost a bit. Wonderful trees, bushes, flowers and more. Some greenhouses as well. It's a lovely place to be and to walk around. This Chateau and grounds are really impressive. One of the best castle experiences we've had yet. You can spend easily a whole day here. Always something new to explore. And: Dogs are welcome as well here. Our Bulldog enjoyed. And so did we. Highly recommended.

This chateau is about 4.5 star. The visit need 4 hours. It is because the compound has several…read moreregions to visit. The area includes the castle, middle garden, herb garden, front garden and the stable. This chateau is established in early 10 century. Later it was burn down and rebuilt at 15 century. Later the chateau was bought by Catherine de Medici at mid 15 century. The castle is beautiful for the round tower make up the beauty of the chateau. Since it was own and decorated by Catherine de Medici, the interior decoration is beautiful. I like the creative tile floor with tapestry. There is room like library but the book is make from luminaire stone. There is a beautiful chapel in the castle. The stable is beautiful and comfortable for each horse. There are some art display in the stable. The herb garden is interesting. But the garden on the front is more beautiful. The compound actual has more buildings to explore.

This is an excellent stop for a wine tasting and they have a nifty little vineyard museum on-site…read more Most of the plaques are in French so ask for an English laminate card to navigate your way around. They have a lot of interesting wines and it's fun to chat with the staff.

One of our favorite châteaus to visit - Château d'Amboise is a royal castle in the Loire Valley in…read moreAmboise, 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!

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

A lovely place for a glass of wine after visiting the chateau or exploring the town! Our service…read morewas excellent- our bartender picked out a wine for us based on our taste preferences. We enjoyed our glasses under shady umbrellas on the terrace while people watching.

I was debating with myself whether to give it a one or two stars. Value of their wine is relatively…read moregood (read it's cheap enough for any quality), however, service and rudeness levels is just right for a 1 star. Unfortunately, due to the fact that emotional soreness from the visit did not allow me to enjoy the wine I bought there- I can't imagine giving it more than 1 star. Instead of being greeted upon entering the place, I was given a lengthy lecture about inappropriateness of taking photos of a private business. This is a winery and shop located directly underneath THE attraction site of this small town on the busiest street in that small town. This business has doors open for public and has no signs requiring a need to explicitly ask for permission to take photos. The guy at the bar spent 50 times longer to give me this educational speech about private property rights than answering any of my questions about the wines. Example: "Where do you source your grapes?" -"It's all local." No where else in France or elsewhere in the world got I scolded for trying to take pictures of a store, restaurant, winery or a bar.