Car Hire Amboise

Guide

Amboise, a small medieval market town and commune, is located in France, and is situated beside the Loire River. Amboise is also known famously as the town containing the Clos Luce, the manor house where Leonardo Da Vinci lived and died. The house has lost much of its original structure, but some of it still stands today and houses models of many of his inventions constructed according to his original plans.

Amboise has some of the best examples of timbered housing, a process in which heavy timber logs are joined together with pegged mortise and tenon, in the region. Outside of the city sits a Chinese Pagoda built in 1775 which has seven levels, each level being smaller than the last. The pagoda is open to the public and visitors may climb its interior staircase for some good views of the surrounding area.

The Musee de la Poste is a museum inside the Hotel Joyeuse which traces the history of the postal delivery service in the region. The famous Chateau of Amboise is located in the center of the town, creating a focal point around which the town grew. Many historical events over the centuries have taken place inside the Chateau, a structure that sits large and daunting on the top of a very large hill overlooking much of the town.

Amboise is also home to Troglodytes, which are caves where tufa stone was excavated from the hills in order to build stone houses. Some of these caves were used as homes by the local people and today many of them have been turned into inns, art galleries, museums and even zoos.