Les Chateaux de la Loire

There are so many interesting discoveries you can make on day trips. I had the opportunity to go on a school tour to Les Chateaux de la Loire, about 3 hours away from Rennes. Not only did I get to look through an ancient castle where kings have lived, but I also got to explore Leonardo Da Vinci’s last home and see his tomb!

The first stop was Chateau D’Amboise, a large and gorgeous castle with grounds of neatly groomed gardens and a lovely view of the river. On the grounds of the Chateau is a small chapel with ornate detail inside. Besides the amazing architecture lies one of the most famous artists in history, Leonardo Da Vinci! It was in this small town where the genius spent his last few years.

Before we discovered the story of Da Vinci’s last years, we had a tour through the Chateau D'Amboise.Tapestries dating back to the 1600s adorned the walls and authentic décor helped us understand what life for a king might have been like. It was interesting to find out that the Kings would travel from chateau to chateau in order to keep an eye on politics throughout the land. Every month or so, the entire convoy of the Royal Family and their servants would pack up everything within the castle and cart it to the next destination, a trip that often took 10 days!

After exploring the chateau and ground we went to a small restaurant, Au Coeur Vaillant, for the best French meal I have had! I can still remember the delicious potato and cheese casserole! With full tummies, we set off for Leonardo Da Vinci’s last house. The house was very neat to see but the models of his inventions were the best part! Not only were there small models of the inventions set up within the house, there were a few of the inventions made to scale on the grounds of the petit chateau! The most noteworthy was the medieval tank that you could get inside!

There are so many things to discover if you take the time to look around. What are your favorite day trip spots?

Da Vinci's Tank

Chataeu D'Amboise