Parc de la Chaufferie

Amboise is a town on the south bank of the Loire in Touraine, dominated by its royal château. The Parc de la Chaufferie is a small public green space in the town, used by residents for a quiet walk and by visitors for a short break between the sights.

The town's great monument is the Château d'Amboise, a royal residence on a rocky spur above the river. In the late fifteenth century King Charles VIII rebuilt it in the Gothic style, bringing in Italian craftsmen after his campaigns in Italy, and his successors, in particular Francis I, made it a centre of the French Renaissance court. The Château stands among the royal châteaux of the Loire Valley, which UNESCO has inscribed on the World Heritage list. In the grounds the Chapelle Saint-Hubert, a delicate Gothic chapel, is traditionally said to contain the burial place of Leonardo da Vinci, who died in 1519 in a manor close to the château.

That manor is the Clos Lucé, where Francis I had installed the Italian master during his last years. Today the house shows rooms furnished in the style of the period, a workshop and a park with models of Leonardo's inventions that visitors can try. The two sites are connected by a short walk through the old town, and many travellers visit them together. The château offers a choice of self-guided visits, with an audio guide or a tablet, or guided tours.

In the town itself the Rue Nationale is the main shopping street, and the Église Saint-Denis, the Maison du Vieux Amboise and the riverside path, the Sentier des Bords de Loire, offer more to see. The riverbank is a good place to look back at the château, especially at sunset.

The park suits walkers and families who want a break from sightseeing. Check on the spot what facilities exist, as no details are well established. Amboise is easy to reach by train from Tours and Paris, and its position on the Loire cycle route makes it popular with cyclists. Allow a day for the château, the Clos Lucé and the old town.