|
|
|
|
Chateau d'Amboise Review
Read our Loire Valley sights reviews. Or post your own.
Château d'Amboise
- Phone: 02-47-57-00-98
- www.chateau-amboise.com
- Category: Castles/Palaces
- Location: Amboise
Fodor's Review:
The Château d'Amboise became a royal palace in the 15th and 16th centuries. Charles VII stayed here, as did the unfortunate Charles VIII, best remembered for banging his head on a low doorway lintel (you will be shown it) and dying as a result. The gigantic Tour des Minimes drops down the side of the cliff, enclosing a massive circular ramp designed to lead horses and carriages up the steep hillside. François I, whose long nose appears in so many château paintings, based his court here, inviting Leonardo da Vinci as his guest. The castle was also the stage for the Amboise Conspiracy, an ill-fated Protestant plot against François II; you are shown where the corpses of 1,200 conspirators dangled from the castle walls. This is one reason why the château feels haunted and forlorn -- another is the fact that most of its interior furnishings have been lost. But don't miss the lovely grounds, adorned with a Flamboyant Gothic gem, the little chapel of St-Hubert with its carvings of the Virgin and Child, Charles VIII, and Anne of Brittany, and once graced by the tomb of Leonardo.
- Cost: EUR 8
- Open: Nov.-Mar., daily 9-noon and 2-4:45; Apr.-June, Sept., and Oct., daily 9-6; July and Aug., daily 9-7
Get Advice From Other Travelers
- Where to base ourselves for a few days in the Loire valley?
15 responses; most recent on 09/27/2008, 03:54 am - Three days in the Loire Valley, help!
12 responses; most recent on 09/18/2008, 10:22 am - Loire Valley, Normandy - Itinerary Suggestions
14 responses; most recent on 09/11/2008, 10:24 am - Loire Valley Trip Recommendations
16 responses; most recent on 09/02/2008, 12:42 pm
Visit the Travel Talk forums for help on planning your trip >>
- Travel Deals
-
Early booking deal at luxe Paris hotel$334/nt+
Perfect Escapes -
Early-booking special on deluxe Marseille hotel$199+
Perfect Escapes -
Prem+ fares to Amsterdam & Paris (one-way)$550+
OpenSkies -
Low Iceland fares & more Europe (round-trip)$472+
Icelandair - More >>
Buy the Guidebook
-
$24.95
-
$22.95
Get the Fodor's Newsletter
Read the current issue
For more travel ideas, tips, and deals, sign up for the Fodor's newsletter here. Browse previous issues.
