When the aroma of citrus fruits envelops you, and you are on Lake Garda, you are probably in Limone. The most northerly town on the Brescia side, and also the most northerly of all where lemons are grown. An ancient and suggestive village, which reserves various things to do and places to visit, for those who are on a trip or on vacation.
If you wonder what to see in Limone sul Garda, know that you will find several opportunities to get to know this town, both from an artistic and naturalistic point of view. The history of Limone tells of a place rich in beauty, harmony of the climate, evidence of a centuries-old work on the lake; an almost “uncontaminated” place for centuries, since until the construction of the Gardesana road (1932), this village remained isolated from the north of the lake. Today, however, it has become a well-known and easily accessible tourist destination; to visit in its many points of view …
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The lemon houses where citrus fruits were grown
It used to be reached only by boat, and it is still pleasant to arrive by boat to observe the landscape from afar, dotted with lemon groves and citrus groves – a support of the local economy for centuries.
These are historical structures among which the Limonaia del Castèl stands out, famous for its size and state of conservation; it was founded in the seventeenth century with stone and wood greenhouses, expanded in the eighteenth century to improve citrus crops – thus protected from winter winds. In addition to that of Castèl, there are various pillar structures for lemon cultivation, already observed by Goethe at the end of the eighteenth century, and increasingly widespread in Limone sul Garda until the postwar period. You can discover the history of the lemon groves in the Castèl museum, where the culture of citrus groves and their distribution from the shores of the lake to northern Europe is explained by panels and finds.
The historic center and the ancient churches of Limone
While admiring the lemon groves with the first glance, you can realize the beauty of the ancient village and discover what to see in Limone sul Garda from a historical-artistic point of view.
The most typical corners of this town are the alleys, the ancient houses with small doors, balconies, windows and stairways, the arcades … glimpses that recall the past but still live today in a serene and relaxing dimension for those who pass through them. The stone paves the streets and creates the walls of the houses, often decorated with flower pots in different seasons, thanks to the microclimate of Limone.
Among the beauties of this locality, there is a splendid and small Renaissance church, San Rocco a Limone, which also offers a spectacular view of the lake, being located in a high and panoramic place in the village. You can get there from the lakefront, along an uphill road up to this spectacular site.
Another important church from a historical point of view is San Pietro in Oliveto, the oldest in the village, which dates back to the 9th century – a time when there was a monastery complex larger than the small church today. The 12th century Romanesque architecture hides inside the marvelous frescoes with St. Peter and a Crucifixion; dating back to the same century, with some “pieces” up to the fourteenth, they have been restored several times from the nineties to 2006.
Until the First World War, there was also a bell tower in San Pietro, which was demolished to prevent it from being targeted by enemy cannons.
Locals on the lakefront and events in Limone sul Garda
Thinking about what to see in Limone, you can also orient yourself according to which season you are living, given that, especially in summer, various events are also inaugurated in the village, in addition to the choice of evenings in private places.
First of all, it is good to remember that already in themselves the lakefront and the marina are places where there are many tourist initiatives including beaches, restaurants, shops.
There are several evenings and events organized in Limone sul Garda, often on the Marconi lakefront and in the historic center, with entertainment for adults and children, art exhibitions, limoncello tastings and typical dishes. In July and August, musical evenings are also frequent, from rock to soundtracks, folk, black, classical music, or parties with spectacular fireworks. A particularity is given by the Festa Alpina, which includes mountain excursions for those who join the route in the surroundings.
Among the events that take place in Limone, some evenings are known for being able to create a combination of music and local gastronomic specialties. Routes are organized in the alleys of the village that allow you to get to know the Garda traditions at the table, enjoying the music and entertainment. You will be able to taste the typical fish dishes of Garda, the local cheeses, the Brescia spit, the exquisite “cunsa” polenta (cheese, butter, salted aole) and the most renowned and genuine local wine labels.
The Limone cycle path: what to do if you love sport!
This is the new route, inaugurated in 2018: it is the Ciclovia del Garda which branches off with a cycle and pedestrian road in this section of the Garda area.
The one in Limone is one of the many paths that are slowly surrounding the lake, and after the Trentino areas, on this side of Brescia, the track has been built that allows you to travel the territory of Limone sul Garda by bike for 2 kilometers.
A bike path overhanging the lake, which also allows you to enjoy a spectacular scenery, looking at Monte Baldo, the peaks of Trentino, and a unique landscape of beauty such as Garda can offer.
Also for those who love nature, there are places to visit around the village, especially if you stay in Limone more than a weekend. Like the Spiaggia della Fonte Torrente San Giovanni, a perfect place for picnics and sunbathing on the lake; there is also a beach volleyball court and a surf school. The landscape is relaxing but, at the same time, there are many people who frequent the beach of Fonte Torrente, as well as that of Cola, in order to make it a dynamic and lively place.
Tourism Museum and Oil Exhibition
For those who want to know more about the area, one of the institutional places to visit in Limone sul Garda is the unique Museum of Tourism, which best documents all the changes that took place in the village after the Gardesana opened, and Limone is not more was an “isolated” country.
It seems strange, but this condition, contemporary to the many economic and social changes that have occurred throughout Italy, deserved an exhibition set up in the former Palazzo Comunale, now known as the Tourism Museum. You will find rooms with posters, calendars, travel guides, even souvenirs and mementos dedicated to the figure of the missionary St. Daniel Comboni.
Furthermore, an interesting scientific discovery is all to be known: in some inhabitants of Limone sul Garda in the seventies, the Polyprotein A1-Milano was found, a beneficial genetic mutation of the original protein, able to prevent cardiovascular pathologies and heart attack conditions ( is associated with the removal of excess cholesterol in peripheral tissues).
In addition to this museum, you can go and see the Mostra dell’Olio, which explains this typical cultivation of the Garda area (cold pressed oil with stone millstones); a space in an ancient oil mill, managed by the Cooperativa Owners Oliveti di Limone.
