Explorer Amboise

The Château d'Amboise rises on a spur above the Loire and was a royal residence from the 15th century, extended under Charles VIII and Francis I. Most of its buildings were later demolished, but the royal lodgings, the great round towers and the Gothic Chapelle Saint-Hubert remain; the chapel holds the tomb said to contain the remains of Leonardo da Vinci.

The Château du Clos Lucé is a brick and stone manor in Amboise, built in the late 15th century some 500 metres from the royal Château d'Amboise. Leonardo da Vinci lived here from 1516 at the invitation of Francis I and died here in 1519; visitors see his furnished rooms and workshops, and a park with full-size models of his inventions.

Château Gaillard is a royal estate in Amboise created for Charles VIII after his return from Italy in 1496, at the foot of a limestone cliff beside the Clos Lucé. The Italian gardener Pacello da Mercogliano laid out gardens and a citrus orangery here; after five years of restoration, the château, its gardens and a 15-hectare park opened to visitors in 2014.

The Château de Chenonceau spans the River Cher near the village of Chenonceaux in the Loire Valley. The main building dates from 1514 to 1522; the bridge was added from 1556 to designs by Philibert de l'Orme and the gallery on top of it from 1570 to 1576. Visitors tour the furnished rooms and the gallery and walk through the gardens.