Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
East of Tours
Amboise
Straddling the widest stretch of the Loire River, Amboise is an inviting town with a pleas-
ing old quarter below its hilltop château. A castle has overlooked the Loire from Amboise
since Roman times. Leonardo da Vinci retired here...just one more of his many brilliant
ideas.
As the royal residence of François I (r. 1515-1547), Amboise wielded far more im-
portance than you'd imagine from a lazy walk through its pleasant, pedestrian-only com-
mercial zone. In fact, its residents are quite conservative, giving the town an attitude—as
if no one told them they're no longer the second capital of France. The locals keep
their wealth to themselves; consequently, many grand mansions hide behind nondescript
facades.
With or without a car, Amboise is an ideal small-town home base for exploring the
best of château country.
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