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On the Île d'Amboise, park near the Île d'Or campsite.
Please note! This route is not signposted as such
(S/E). Head to the south side of the island along the Loire, near the statue honouring Leonardo da Vinci. Take the small path west to get back on the road. Continue west on the road to the foot of the Pont du Maréchal Leclerc bridge, then turn right to take the stairs and climb up to the road.
(1) Continue to the left to cross the southern arm of the Loire. At the end of the bridge, cross the slip road, then go down the stairs opposite and cross the Quai du Général de Gaulle. Continue to the right, take the first street on the left and you will arrive at Place Michel Debré.
(2) Continue straight ahead, leaving the access ramp to the château on your left. Further on, look for the red and whiteGR®®3markings and follow them, continuing straight ahead along Rue Victor Hugo to the Château du Clos Lucé.
(3) Leave theGR®® trail, walk past the château entrance and turn right down Rue du Clos Lucé, which runs alongside the estate to the bridge over the Amasse, for a first glimpse of this small river that is the common thread of this route. From the bridge, retrace your steps a few metres and turn right onto Allée du Pont Moulin. Continue straight ahead until you reach the entrance to Château Gaillard (whose gardens are open to the public in summer).
(4) At this point, note the various structures built on the river to divert excess water, if necessary, to the tunnel dug into the rock a few metres north of the street. Then return along the same path to Clos Lucé.
(3) Turn right onto Rue de la Malonnière, back onto theGR®® trail. Continue straight ahead until you reach Chemin des Breussolières, C.R.64, on your right.
(5) Leave theGR®® again to take this path. Continue straight ahead on this path, which further on crosses the hamlet and leads to a road.
(6) Walk a few metres to the right to take a look at the Amasse, then turn back.
(6) Continue straight ahead on Rue de la Côte Chaude. Keep going along this small road which runs alongside Amasse on your right.
(7) Pass in front of a beautiful property, the Moulin d'Olivet. Continue straight ahead, still on Rue de la Côte Chaude, until you reach Boulevard Saint-Denis Hors.
(8) Turn right to cross this busy boulevard (be careful! There are no pedestrian crossings). Continue along the small road opposite and cross the Amasse on a bridge. Further on, you will come to a road.
(9) Turn left, staying on the hard shoulder, then turn onto the first road on the left. Pass in front of the Château des Arpentis estate and cross the Amasse again.
(10) Further on, turn right onto Route de Saint-Lubin. Continue along this small road which enters the woods and runs alongside the Amasse.
(11) Pass close to a large pond in Saint-Lubin, then close to small ponds on the Amasse. At the intersection, continue right towards the entrance to Saint-Règle until you reach the bridge over the Amasse and the picnic area, for a last look at the "wild" Amasse.
(12) Turn back and, at the fork, continue right on the small road that crosses the woods.
(13) When you come out of the woods, turn left onto the path and follow theGR®®3trail again, which is also theGR®®655East trail to Santiago de Compostela. Continue straight ahead on this path, first between woods and fields, then between fields and an industrial estate.
(14) Cross the road (be careful! There are still no pedestrian crossings) and continue straight ahead. You will eventually come to a crossroads. Continue straight ahead and you will soon see the Chemin des Breussolières on your left, which you took on the way there.
(5) Continue straight ahead and then turn right onto Rue du Vallum (signposted Rempart gaulois, Butte de César). At the end of this street, note the remains of the Gallic rampart on your right, then continue left onto Rue Augustin Thierry. Note the tumulus, Butte de César, in a field on your right. Ignore the next street on your right and continue straight ahead.
(15) Take the second street, Rue des Chateliers (dead end, sign for Maison des Pages, Loire). At the end of this street, take the alleyway that winds down towards the Loire between the houses. Pass in front of the Maison des Pages. Further down, continue to the right on Rue du Rocher des Violettes (sign for Tunnel de l'Amasse) and you will arrive at the Tunnel de l'Amasse. It is through this tunnel that, during periods of high water and to protect the town centre of Amboise, the water from the Amasse is diverted to the Loire from Château Gaillard. Turn left and walk along this building to reach Quai Charles Guinot.
(16) Cross (carefully!) then turn left and walk along the Loire on your right.
(17) At the "Le Manoir des Minimes" hotel, cross the road again and take Rue Louis XI opposite, then turn right onto Rue de la Concorde to walk along the Château d'Amboise fortress below. You will come out onto Place Michel Debré opposite Rue Nationale, Amboise's main shopping street.
(2) Turn right to return to the quay and the bridge and come back to the Île d'Or campsite (S/E) via the same route you took on the way there.
Visorando member
Easy 
