From gardens to wine cellars, from castles to abbeys, Touraine really is the meeting point of history and traditions. The River Loire is the longest and wildest river in France, with its 633 miles long, and a basin of 46 332 square miles. It is taking its source at mont Gerbier-de-Jonc, which is 4 593 feet high. And, its bed, edged by Val de Loire’s levees and embankments, jammed by sand banks, is running from East to West.
“The River Loire is a queen and the kings loved her.”
A downstream wander through our “Valley of the Kings” seems to be easy enough, to travel back in time, to fill in our eyes with wonder, to be part of this art de vivre - which was the cultural and economical main spring of this blessed area - and, to appreciate the warm hospitality of its inhabitants.

Amboise is upstream from Tours, on the south bank of the river. There, it divides to form l’Île d’or, overhung by a plateau where the royal castle rises. Its history is merging with the city’s. Amboise was a main center of developments during the Neolithic and Iron Age. The Celtic Turones gave their name to the region now called Touraine... And during the Gallo-Roman times, Saint Martin fonded a church during the IV^th century. This church has been used to organise an encounter between Clovis (the first French king) and Alaric (one of his rivals). Charles the VIII^th turned the town into the Valois’ royal estate and into a place of art and Renaissance’s sumptuousness. It was to go on under François I^st.

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In Touraine and especially in Amboise, Leonardo Da Vinci’s genius is glowing. Artist, scientist, writer and, major Renaissance’s humanist, he lived in the château du Clos Lucé, which has now been turned into a leonardian museum and research center.
There, triumphs the brilliant artist and creator, invited by François I^ft. He stayed for the last three years of his life, and died in may 2^nd, 1519. His grave lies in the transept of Saint Hubert Chapel of the Royal castle. His powerful and charming personality embodies the idea of Renaissance itself : the artist new liberty, emancipated from a professional structure, dominated by his scientific and philosophical thinking the empiricism of his work, centred on nature and its phenomenons. He created a strong relationship with the great figures of his time.

Amboise constitutes the very end of the “Da Vinci Tour”®. Wanders after wanders into the gardens of Val de Loire, and further than geography, we realise, that our interest for history, style, and aestheticism, doesn’t seem to seize completely this inner fascination we feel for them. The very essence of gardens is somewhere else, and their alleys are leading us towards less visited worlds of poetry and metaphysics. As if gardens fleeting art kept, along centuries and seasons, the meaning of life. Gardens make us feel the lost paradise that we are endlessly trying to reach, like oasis in the desert ...

Let’s push the gate open !

Amboise & Amboise Valley Web links:


Office de Tourisme du Val d'Amboise

http://www.amboise-valdeloire.com/

Ville d'Amboise
Château Royal d'Amboise
Château du Clos Lucé - Parc Leonardo da Vinci
Da Vinci Tour®
Da Vinci Tour® - Le voyage
Pagode de Chanteloup
À la Cour du Roy François
Maison de la Loire
Aquarium du Val de Loire
Commanderie des Grands Vins d'Amboise
Lycée agricole et viticole d'Amboise
Cave des Producteurs de Montlouis

http://www.ville-amboise.fr/
http://www.chateau-amboise.com/
http://www.vinci-closluce.com
http://www.davincitour.eu/
http://www.dinamic-voyages.com/
http://www.pagode-chanteloup.com/
http://www.renaissance-amboise.com/index.php
http://maisonloire.free.fr
http://www.aquariumduvaldeloire.com/index2.htm
http://www.commanderie-vins-amboise.com/index.htm
http://www.epl.amboise.educagri.fr/
http://www.cave-montlouis.com/

Loire Valley Web links:

Mission Val de Loire UNESCO
La Loire à Vélo
Tourisme en Touraine
Office de tourisme de Tours
Ville de Tours
Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire
Château de Chenonceau
Château & jardins de Villandry
Domaine National de Chambord
Château Royal de Blois
Ass. Millière Raboton - bateaux traditionnels
Croisières de Loire... et Cher
Loisirs-Loire Valley
Maison Hardouin
Cave des Producteurs de Vouvray
Vins de Loire

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Discovery journey - adessentia
Nature and culture around Amboise and Loire Valley
4 days

1^st day : PARIS / TOURS / MONTLOUIS-SUR-LOIRE : Maison de la Loire / LUSSAULT-SUR-LOIRE : Loire Valley’s aquarium / AMBOISE : Royal castle - old town
(≈ 20 miles)
• Arrival at Tours station et departure to Montlouis-sur-Loire (≈ 17 miles) to discover la Maison de la Loire.
• Road to Lussault-sur-Loire to visit Loire Valley’s aquarium.
• Lunch at Amboise.
• In Amboise, guided visit of the royal castle, a French kings residence and in the chapel, Leonardo da Vinci’s grave.
• Guided discovery of Amboise, and spare time in the old town and on the side banks of the Loire...
• Check in at the Météor Val de Loire Resort in Amboise.
• Dinner and overnight at the Météor Val de Loire Resort.

2^rd day : AMBOISE / CHAUMONT-SUR-LOIRE : gardens’ festivals - castle / WALK AND NAVIGATION ON THE LOIRE / AMBOISE
(≈ 22 miles)
• Breakfast.
• Departure to Chaumont-sur-Loire (≈ 10 miles)...
• Guided visit of the gardens and of the castle of Chaumont at the time of the international gardens’ festival.
• Lunch at the Météor Val de Loire Resort in Amboise (≈ 10 miles).
• On foot and on traditional boats, discovery of fauna and flora on the river banks.
• Way back by bus (≈ 10 miles) to the Météor Val de Loire Resort, dinner and overnight.

3^rd day : AMBOISE / BIKE RIDING TO CHISSEAUX / CHISSEAUX : embankment towards Chenonceaux / CASTLE & GARDENS OF CHENONCEAU / AMBOISE
(≈ 110 miles)
• Breakfast.
• Bike riding through Amboise forest, on a cycle track, to Chenonceaux (≈ 8 miles) and on to Chisseaux (≈ 1 mile).
• Embankment on the Cher, a meandous and romantic river, to the arches, and farther, of the Renaissance castle of Chenonceau.
• Stop at Chisseaux, and on to Chenonceaux.
• Lunch.
• Then, guided visit of the castle and of the gardens of Chenonceau.
• Return by bus (≈ 48 miles) to the Météor Val de Loire Resort.
• Dinner and overnight at the Météor Val de Loire Resort.

4^rd day : AMBOISE : pagoda of Chanteloup - château du Clos-Lucé / VOUVRAY : vine yard & tasting - Maison Hardouin / TOURS
(≈ 26 miles)
• Breakfast.
• Guided visit of the pagoda of Chanteloup (≈ 1 mile).
• Then guided visit of le château du Clos Lucé (≈ 1 mile), Da Vinci’s last home, turned into a museum and a leonardian research center. Discovery of Leonardo da Vinci’s gardens with its machines, his reproducted paintings and Léonardo’s garden...
• Way back by bus (≈ 1 mile) to the Météor Val de Loire Resort in Amboise.
• Late lunch.
• Driving to Vouvray’s vine yard (≈ 22 miles), discovery of the domaine and tasting of wines and of Maîtres-artisans charcutiers’ production of maison Hardouin...
• Way back to Tours station (≈ 1 mile) and end of our services...

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