In my last post about Lake Garda, I showed Malcesine, where I was staying. Now I’m heading over to Limone sul Garda on the other side of the lake. I didn’t spend much money while I was in Italy, but a hefty chunk of the (tiny) budget went on ferry tickets. Boats constantly criss-cross the lake to all the towns, and it’s the most scenic way to see the area. If you’re in a hurry, you can take the bus on land, but I was on holiday, so by definition, not in a hurry.
I had been to Limone a few times before years back. My memories were of very steep cobbled streets, and an incredible array of lemon-themed souvenirs. My memories were pretty accurate. In the past citrus farming was the major industry. Now it’s tourism.
I climbed up some steep steps by the church to see the view.
The tiled roofs of the town, and the feet of the mountains behind.
You can see Malcesine in the far distance.
This is almost as high up as you can get in Limone. It started raining though, so I headed even further up …
… to the Limonaia del Castèl.
It’s a traditional citrus garden run as a museum. In the spring and summer, the garden is open to the sun, and in the winter the windows are hung back on the frames to protect the trees.
The trees are planted on terraces running along the mountainside.
On a wet day in May, there were only me and two other visitors there. I imagine it’s pretty busy in the peak season in summer.
They had lots of different kind of fruit there, and a small museum exhibit about the history of citrus fruit. I hadn’t realised before that most of the fruits we eat today are man-made, being hybrids of wild fruit like the pomelo and citron that are far less well known. I had never realised for example that the fruit we know as a simple orange is actually an artificial cross between a mandarin and a pomelo.