The lemon houses and the village on the lake
On the north western shore of Lake Garda, squeezed between the water and a sheer rock wall, Limone sul Garda is one of the most picturesque villages on the lake. Its houses, painted in warm colours, crowd around a small harbour, with lanes, steps and arches climbing up from the lakeside. For centuries it was reachable only by boat or by mountain paths; the coast road, the Gardesana, arrived only in 1931.
Limone is famous for its limonaie, the lemon houses: from the seventeenth century, thanks to the mild climate of the lake, the inhabitants grew lemons and citrus fruit, the northernmost commercial lemon cultivation in the world, on terraces protected by tall stone pillars and covered in winter with wooden beams and glass panes. Goethe described them in 1786. The Limonaia del Castèl, restored by the municipality, can be visited and shows how they worked. A beautiful cycle path, suspended over the water and anchored to the rock face, now runs from Limone towards Riva and the Trentino border, with breathtaking views.
Tip: the suspended cycle path can also be walked; arrive by boat to enjoy the view of the village from the lake.
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