Lombardy · Brescia
Limone sul Garda
The northernmost lemon-growing town in the world, at 46 degrees north on the western shore of Lake Garda, reached by road only in 1932.
Known for
LIMONAIE
Stone-pillared lemon greenhouses, used from the seventeenth century to export citrus north into Austria, Poland and Russia.
APOA-1 MILANO
Mutant apolipoprotein traced to Giovanni Pomarelli in the eighteenth century, carried by about forty descendants and linked to longevity.
THE GARDESANA
The cliff road to Riva del Garda, finished in 1932, ended centuries of isolation when the town was reachable only by boat or mule track.
When to visit
Best · Apr–Oct
- J9°
- F12°
- M14°
- A17°
- M21°
- J26°
- J29°
- A29°
- S24°
- O20°
- N14°
- D9°
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
Daytime averages, 2020–2024. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.
Why come
Limone sul Garda sits on the western shore of Lake Garda at the foot of vertical limestone cliffs, the northernmost commercial lemon-growing town in the world at almost 46 degrees north. The Latin limes, meaning border, gave the place its name; the Bettoni counts gave it its industry. From the seventeenth century, limonaie, stone-pillared greenhouses heated and covered through winter, allowed lemons to be exported to Austria, Germany, Poland and Russia.
The road to Riva del Garda, the Gardesana Occidentale, was carved into the cliff and finished in 1932; until then the town reached the outside world by boat or mule track. In 1974 a Milanese pharmacologist traced a mutant apolipoprotein, ApoA-1 Milano, to a single eighteenth-century resident, Giovanni Pomarelli. Roughly forty of his descendants in town carry the variant, which suppresses cardiovascular disease and helps a handful of residents past one hundred.
The Sunday letter
We haven’t written Limone sul Garda’s letter yet.
One town every Sunday, with the photo, the food, the festa. Be there when this one comes up. Free, by Peter & Sophia from Pietrasanta.
How to get there
From Verona (VRN), about 1h 33m by car.
Milan (BGY) is about 1h 48m away.
By car from the centre of Trento 57 minutes or Brescia 1h 20m.
Coming by train into Trento? Limone sul Garda is about 57 minutes away by road.
What to see
Limonaia del Castèl
Restored seventeenth-century lemon greenhouse on stone pillars above the lake, demonstrating the heated wooden cover that protected the trees through winter.
Chiesa di San Benedetto
Eighteenth-century parish church on the lake front, with a single nave and Baroque altars rebuilt over an older medieval foundation.
Centro storico
Tight grid of stone alleys between the old harbour and the cliff, with narrow porticoes that survive from the pre-road fishing and citrus village.
Lungolago
Lakefront promenade running below the cliff face, with views east across the lake to Monte Baldo and the Veronese shore.
Ciclopista del Garda
Cantilevered cycle path bolted to the cliff above the SS45bis, opened in 2018, running south toward Capo Reamol.
The slow-trip planner
Building a trip? Find where Limone sul Garda fits in a slow Italy circuit.
Answer five questions. We will shape a geographically coherent slow trip from the 1,000 Italian towns most travelers skip. Yours to save and share.
We recommend
Where to eat and stay
Not our picks, but places the guides put their name to: a Michelin star, a Gambero Rosso fork, a Slow Food snail, a Michelin Key for the hotels. Worth a table, a counter, or a night when you pass through.
Senso Lake Garda Alfio GhezziRistorante
Senso Lake Garda Alfio Ghezzi carries one Michelin star.
EALA My Lakeside DreamHotel
Two Michelin Keys, at EALA My Lakeside Dream.
Living here
- Population 1,130
- Off the beaten pathi
- Pharmacy in town
- Nearest high school over ~30 minutes away
- Nearest airport Verona, 1 h 33 min drive
- Regional capital Milano, 2 h 25 min drive
Common questions
- What is Limone sul Garda known for?
- Limone sul Garda is the northernmost lemon-growing town in the world, at 46 degrees north on the western shore of Lake Garda, reached by road only in 1932.
- Where is Limone sul Garda?
- Limone sul Garda is a comune in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy, at 65 meters above sea level.
- What is the nearest airport to Limone sul Garda?
- Verona (VRN), about 1h 33m by car.
- How long is the drive from Trento to Limone sul Garda?
- About 57 minutes by car.
- When is the best time to visit Limone sul Garda?
- Best in Apr–Oct. July is the warmest month, averaging 29 degrees, and May the wettest, with about 18 rain days.
- Which other towns are like Limone sul Garda?
- Brenzone sul Garda, Torri del Benaco and Gardone Riviera.
- How many people live in Limone sul Garda?
- 1,130 at the 2023 count.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources
The numbers
- Elevation: 65 m
- Population: 1,130
- Surface area: 23.03 km²
These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.
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