Visit the Royal Castle of Amboise (tips + photos)

The Royal castle of Amboise (château royal) is a must-see of the Loire Valley castles. Impressive because of its position 40 meters above the Loire River, it is now world famous because it houses the presumed tomb of the genius Leonardo da Vinci!

Here is our article so you don't miss anything during your next visit to Amboise!

Why visit the Château d'Amboise?

Is the Château d'Amboise worth it? Our opinion:

Located in the heart of the beautiful city of Amboise, the royal castle of Amboise is worth a visit:

• For the beautiful views it offers on the Loire River which winds at its feet, for us one of the most interesting viewpoints on the royal river with the fortress of Chinon.
• To visit the presumed tomb of the most famous Italian genius, Leonardo da Vinci, in the Saint Hubert chapel.
• Because it offers in a few rooms, the essential know-how of the Renaissance period: sculpted vaults, monumental fireplaces, finely chiseled wooden furniture...
• For the experience of the descent of the Minimes and Heurtault towers which will bring you in gentle slope, but after many turns, from the top to the foot of the castle.

Why is the Château d'Amboise famous?

The Royal Castle of Amboise is best known today because Leonardo da Vinci was buried there when he died in 1519 at the age of 67. After having spent the last years of his life at the nearby"Clos Lucé", Leonardo da Vinci was buried in the grounds of the Château d'Amboise at the request of François^1er. If you are interested in the life of the Italian genius, you will see in this article that his eternal rest was eventful!

In the history of France, the Château d'Amboise is linked to King Charles VIII. He was born there in 1470 and died there in 1498 after hitting his head on the top of a door of a gallery of the castle. Be alert!

History in brief

• Middle Ages: located on a promontory 40m above the Loire, which makes it a strategic defensive place, Amboise is one of the key fortress cities of Touraine.
• Renaissance: the future king Charles VIII was born in the castle of Amboise in 1470 and it is him who transformed what was then only a fortress into a true renaissance palace. Louis XII, his cousin and successor, will have a new wing built there, but the kings of France will gradually turn away from it, even if François I spent a large part of his childhood there.
• The castle then became successively a prison, a home for noble families and even a residence for the elderly for almost a century!

Tips and map - Azay-le-Rideau Castle

Where is the Château d'Amboise

• Closer to the city of Tours
• Driving time from Nantes : 2h30
• Driving time from Tours : 25 min
• Driving time from Angers : 1h40
• Driving time from Blois : 30 min
• Driving time from Orleans : 1h10

Here is a map to help you find your way:

How to get there

The closest airport is Paris-Orly (2h15), which is almost the same travel time as Nantes (2h30). Nantes airport being smaller, the landing time is generally reduced compared to Orly.

You can then reach the city of Amboise by train or by car.

By train, 2 options:

• via the Tours-Saint-Pierre-des-Corps TGV station (8 trains per day between Tours and Paris for an average journey time of 1 hour and 10 minutes) then Amboise (14 trains per day and 18 minutes journey time).
• Direct link by INTERCITES from Paris gare d'Austerlitz to Amboise station in less than 2 hours.
• From the Amboise train station to the castle, it will take about fifteen minutes to walk.

Book your train ticket now!

Organized tour from Paris : discover the program of the day and book

Parking

Located in the heart of the city, the castle does not offer dedicated parking. The city center has several parking lots, the closest of which is the " Parking des Quais", located, as its name indicates, on the banks of the Loire. Quickly full and paying, you can opt for the parking lot of the tanners located at 5 minutes walk from the castle and which is free!

Best time to visit the Château d'Amboise

Like all the Loire castles, the peak of attendance is during the months of July and August. If you want to be sure to visit in the quiet, prefer the very early morning. The gardens will of course be more resplendent in the spring, but, unlike the Château de Villandry or the Rivaut, this should not condition your choice.

How long

You have to count:

• Between 1 and 1.5 hours to tour the royal dwelling.
• 1 short hour for the exterior and gardens.
• You should also allow 15 minutes to visit the presumed tomb of Leonardo da Vinci in the Saint Hubert chapel, as soon as it will be accessible to the public again, a priori in the fall of 2023.

The quietness of the gardens outside the school vacations may encourage you to make the pleasure last!

The main difficulties

As in many castles, it is necessary to go up and down a few spiral staircases that are particularly cramped in the royal dwelling. This is particularly the case to access the terrace located at the top of the Minimes tower. Also noteworthy is a gentle but long and winding descent out of the castle into the Hertault tower, sensitive knees please!

Advice on how to visit and map of the castle

• To fully understand a castle like Amboise, it is first necessary to look at it from the city and even from the quays of the Loire. Located on a promontory, it proudly dominates the city and its massive structure still betrays its defensive origins.
• Once you have climbed the access slope from the city center, we recommend that you catch your breath by walking around the gardens and enjoying the many views of the city and the Loire River.

• You can then attack the royal dwelling by following the clearly indicated direction of visit.
• At the end of the visit, enjoy the 360 degree view from the top of the Minimes tower.
• On leaving this first tower, we recommend a final break in the gardens before tackling the descent of the Heurtault tower, very atypical and surprising!

Schedules and prices

Rates:

• full adult: 13,50 €.
• free for children under 7 years old
• for the 7-18 years old : 9,20

Check the latest prices/times on the official website.

To avoid wasting time during your visit and waiting in line unnecessarily, we strongly advise you tobuy your tickets in advance.

The castle of Amboise with your children

The Château d'Amboise does not offer any activities specifically for children. However, due to its relatively modest size, it can be suitable for a young audience. You will also be able to interest them with the help of the Histopad which offers enriched content (videos, illustrations...) throughout the visit.

Guided tours

Your admission ticket includes the loan of a Histopad. This digital tablet can be activated at several points in the royal dwelling and the garden to provide you with additional information.

Guided tours in French are also offered throughout the day and are included in the admission fee.

Catering

No offer inside, but a wide choice of restaurants at the foot of the castle and in the city.

Our recommendations:

• If you want to take the time, The Rift. On the other bank of the Loire, one of our best, if not our best table in the Loire. In an old bourgeois house from 1880, the chef Jérôme Berthelot and his daughter Justine, pastry chef, will treat you to a creative cuisine that sublimates the local products. As for the presentation of the dishes, the show is there from the appetizers to the mignardises that accompany the coffee! Just crazy! Discover the restaurant without waiting.

• To eat on the go, go for the Maitre d'Art. Simple but delicious recipes made with fresh and seasonal products. Ideally located 5 minutes from the castle and opposite the Clos Lucé. Discover the map
• Discover all our addresses where to eat in Amboise (coming soon)

The other restaurants where we ate and our recommendations, to discover on our page where to eat in Amboise (coming soon).

Where to stay in the area

In Amboise, the hotels are on a human scale. In large houses in the city center, not far from the castles, you can enjoy all the charms of Amboise. Our recommendations:

• Sleeping with a view of the royal castle of Amboise, in a neat and really soothing decoration, and living the experience of an intimate spa, this is the promise of the Hotel " Au charme rabelaisien " - Let yourself be charmed

• Le Pavillon des Lys: An old mansion dating from 1703, renovated in 2004, which offers 9 very comfortable rooms and a breakfast that is unanimously appreciated. Opt for a master's night

The other hotels where we stayed and our recommendations, to discover on our page where to sleep in Amboise (coming soon).

All about the tomb of Leonardo da Vinci

What is sure about the death of the Italian genius:

• Leonardo da Vinci died in Amboise, at Le Clos Lucé, on May 2, 1519.
• Francis^I, then king of France and a great patron of the Renaissance, decided to have the Italian master buried in the collegiate church of Saint Florentin within the royal castle of Amboise, a privilege normally reserved for nobles and religious.

When it gets complicated about burial:

• In 1808, the collegiate church was destroyed, the stones and tombstones were sold by "lot", which made it difficult to identify the graves! Abust of Leonardo da Vinci, marks today the former location of the collegiate church.
• In 1863, a "fan" of Leonardo da Vinci, Arsène Houssaye, a man of letters and general inspector of Fine Arts, author of the Histoire de Léonard de Vinci (1869), undertook research and thought he had found the bones of the Italian artist, based in particular on the size of the skeleton.

The "official" tomb of Lenoard de Vinci:

• In 1874, the presumed remains of the Italian Master are again buried in the castle of Amboise, but this time in the chapel of Saint Hubert.

And the science in all this:

• A DNA analysis, even Leonardo da Vinci would not have anticipated it! It seems technically feasible, but to date, no application has been filed with the French government.

Architecture: from the fortress to the royal castle of Amboise

To understand the structure of the castle, you can go to the entrance of the royal dwelling, where a model of the whole is proposed.

The impregnable fortress of Amboise

Before being a royal castle, Amboise was a fortress that was considered almost impregnable since the early Middle Ages! Built on a promontory, 40 meters above the Loire, this stronghold benefited from a natural protection, which allowed its occupants to see the enemy coming from afar. It will not escape 2 destructions, but will be systematically rebuilt.

The Royal Palace of Amboise

It is Charles VIII who will be the great builder from 1492 to 1498, certainly by sentimental attachment to the place of his birth. He had the main elements of the present castle built there, in the gothic architectural style of the time:

• the Minimes tower and the Hertault tower: 2 towers of exceptional dimensions, with a gentle slope, which allowed riders, horses and their cargo to reach the top of the castle without difficulty!

• thewing known as "Charles VIII" of the royal dwelling, which housed the king's and queen's bedroom, but also the traditional guards' room, as well as the council room.

• the Saint Hubert chapel with its 11 remarkable stained glass windows and fine sculptures all around its entrance door.

His cousin and successor, will build thewing known as "Louis XII" in a renaissance style, the last major step in the transformation of the fortress into a royal palace!

From the Renaissance rooms to the Louis Philippe cabinet

In a few dozen rooms, the royal dwelling of the Château d'Amboise, offers a good vision of the Renaissance-style interior and an introduction to more contemporary furniture with three rooms in the Louis Philippe style (early 19th century).

The rooms of the Charles VIII wing

If you are pressed for time, we invite you to spend some time in the beautiful"Great Hall" formerly known as the "Council Chamber" or "State Hall". The largest room in the castle, it was in this room that the king gathered his council and administered his kingdom. Please note:

• A network of ribbed vaults, with sculpted figures at the top of the columns, themselves covered with ermine spots and fleur-de-lis (symbols that make up the coat of arms of Anne of Brittany).

• 2 remarkable fireplaces, one renaissance style and the other gothic style. Like us, you may be lucky enough to have one lit up during your visit. It still contributes today to heating the castle.

• Finely chiseled furniture: benches, chests and high chairs, also called chayères, which were intended for kings, lords or ecclesiastics.

We find in the other rooms of the house, the traditional arrangement with:

• The guard room which is actually a gallery in which the model of the castle of Amboise is presented.

• The pillar room, formerly known as the noble guards' room, with its "gothic palm tree" at its heart from which the vaults that structure the room start.

• The room of the drummers, place where the king adorned himself before the festivals, with its carved wooden furniture. To note, a magnificent edition of the prayer book of Charles VIII with its medieval illuminations, also called "book of hours".

The rooms of the Louis XII wing

• The great room, formerly called the cupbearer's room. The cupbearer was an officer of a court whose function was to serve drinks at the table of the prince. This room shows how the king's table was laid. Note a sideboard (then called a dresser) on which rest various pieces of porcelain of great quality.

• The king's room, formerly called the Henry II room, with its large bed (2.18 x 1.82 m). Unusual for the time, this royal bed was built so that King Henry II, who was 1.84m tall, could sleep in it! This room is also home to a fantasy representation of the death of Leonardo da Vinci, in the arms of Francis I, painted in 1781 by François Guillaume Ménageot. Although impossible, this legendary scene will be painted by several artists during the 19th century, including the famous Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres.

• The wardrobe, also known as the Antechamber of the Cordelière, with its fireplace richly decorated with ropes.

• After having descended a few steps, a change of era with the "Orléans-Penthièvre" cabinet, formerly the Louis Philippe cabinet, with a very beautiful reconstruction of a working cabinet from the 1840s.

• TheOrleans room with its boat bed characteristic of the Louis Philippe style. You will also be able to admire the magnificent dress of the Duchess of Orleans, reproduced in 2022 from a painting dated 1839 that appears in this same room. It took the seamstresses no less than 360 hours of work to reproduce this unique piece.

• The music room with its beautiful collection of instruments including a 19th century grand piano from the famous French piano and harpsichord maker Erard, now defunct. This piece also features two portraits ofEmir Abd El-Kader, an Algerian tribal leader who fought against the colonial power and lived in exile in Amboise from 1848 to 1852. A dozen of his companions in exile are buried in the garden where a memorial space was created in 2005.

Discovering the gardens

The castle of Amboise offers 2 walks in its gardens which cover 2.5 hectares.

Travelling plants

Just outside the Logis Royal, you find yourself in a garden with species originating from distant lands: Verbena from Buenos Aires, Rough Rose from Japan, Cork Oak, Boxwood from the Balearic Islands.

Initiated by Louis Philippe in 1840, this garden is part of the trend of the English garden, which had to marry nature and landscape in break with the geometric French garden.

This garden also houses a conservatory of white mulberry trees, whose leaves are the exclusive food of silkworms. A reminder of the grandiose history of the royal silk factories established in Tours in the 16th and 17th centuries!

The little wings of the garden

Through a 5-step tour, the Château d'Amboise also offers you the opportunity to discover the natural environment that is home to more than 90 species of birds. At least twenty have a particular patrimonial interest: gray flycatcher, music thrush, great tit, alder tarin... You may be lucky enough to see the hobby falcon, which sometimes stops by the castle during its migration in September or April.

Not to be missed nearby

Naturally, your visit to the castle must continue with the other treasures of the city:

• Le Clos Lucé, a small castle and the last residence of the Italian genius, Leonardo da Vinci. The gardens have been transformed into a mini-amusement park that highlights the Master's contribution to both science and art.

• Le château Gaillard: less known than these two illustrious neighbors, it offers a small place of calm with gardens populated by orange and lemon trees.

• Chateau de Chenonceaux, also known as the castle above the river: 20 minutes from Amboise, don't miss the extraordinary castle of Chenonceaux, ourabsolute favorite in the Loire Valley. It is for us the castle of all superlatives, both for its arches that span the Cher, for its furniture and its extraordinary works of art, for its gardens so varied and bright ... Discover our visit advices and photos of the Chenonceaux castle (coming soon)

Frequently asked questions

Which king lived in Amboise?

Several kings have lived in the castle of Amboise:

• Charles VIII was born, grew up and died there, all in the space of 28 years! He is the king most attached to the castle of Amboise.
• Louis XII, his cousin and successor, preferred Blois, but built a new wing in the castle of Amboise to accommodate his closest relative, François d'Angoulême. The future king of France, François I, stayed there regularly from his birth in 1494 until 1518. He preferred Chambord, Blois or even Fontainbleau (in the Paris region), the castle of Amboise being used to house part of his court.
• Many kings will continue to visit the castle during the following centuries, but less and less regularly and for short stays. As we have seen, this is notably the case ofHenry II who had a bed built to his dimensions.

Films, series and programs shot at Château d'Amboise

• L'oublié d'Amboise or Meurtres à Amboise (in the series "Meurtres à... "This time, it's Alban Dutertre, captain of the Orleans research department, who investigates the crime of a violinist after a concert in the Amboise castle. The shadow of Leonardo da Vinci hovers over these murders...
• Secret d'histoire, an emblematic historical program on French television, hosted by Stéphane Bern, in its episode devoted to François I and in the one devoted to Marguerite de Valois, Queen Margot.
• L'art du crime in 2007: a police series where Antoine Verlay, an intuitive policeman, must investigate the theft of a painting representing Anne of Brittany in the castle of Amboise...
• 17 times Cécile Cassard in 2002 by Christophe Honoré (whose plays we love!): a delicate portrait of a woman in 17 key moments
• Much earlier, in 1967, the TV movie The Golem.