August 07, 2009
The charming town of Limone sul Garda is by far one of my favourite places on the lake, so I thought I'd tell you a bit about it this month. Limone is located at the north part of Lake Garda, on the western shore, and definitely worth visiting. I fell in love with this place the moment we stepped off the ferry. It is situated on the most dramatic section of Lake Garda, and the harbour area is like a postcard; it is, in our opinion, certainly one of the most photogenic resorts on the lake.
You may know that the name 'Limone' actually means Lemons, and many people assume that it was named this because the town was once famous for growing lemons. But actually, the name probably derived from 'Limen', meaning border; Limone was once a border town between Italy and Austria.
Before the unification of Italy, Lemons, citrons (similar to lemons and used in the production of a lemon brandy) and other citrus fuits were grown on terraces above the lake, the trees enclosed in green-housed during the winter to protect them from frost. But after the unification, Sicily replaced Limone as chief producer of lemons, and now there is little that remains of the old terraces
Now that you know the background of its name, let's get back to telling you about the town itself! The quaint old part of Limone tumbles down quite a steep hillside; we always like to walk to the top and admire the higgeldy-piggeldy terracotta-tiled rooftops. The heart of the old town is the little harbour, the Porto Vecchio ('Old Port'). From here, narrow lanes lined with tourist shops wind along the shore and up the slopes behind.
Make sure you visit the little shops in these out-of-the-way narrow back roads. You will discover some unusual and beautiful items in some of them; we once bought a huge solid copper plate that was intricately carved and molded into a fruit motif. It was challenging getting it home, to say the least, but worth it!
There are pleasant and picturesque waterfront terraces, and plenty of places to eat and drink while admiring lake views. Following paths to the north of the harbour you leave the hustle and bustle behind, and pass scattered hotels, peaceful cafe terraces, abandoned lemon groves and little swimming beaches. In the other direction is the more modern part of Limone: a wide waterfront promenade, car park and many more hotel developments. This end of the town sprawls over the area where the mountains are set back further from the lake: here olive groves are interspersed with hotels and swimming pools.
As I mentioned earlier, Limone was once famous for its lemons. And, if you're in the medical world, you may have heard of Limone as becoming famous in another quite different and, certainly, very interesting way: In 1931 Limone was only accessible by boat, and this isolation led to a remarkable development in the local people. In 1979, a study was done on the locals, and it was discovered that they had a protein in their blood called Apolipoprotein A-1 Milan gene Limone. This protein rids the arteries of fats, thus virtually eliminating arteriosclerosis and heart disease! Fasinating, isn't it!
Hopefully we've enlightened you a little about Limone! You can also find out a little about the other towns by checking out our pages about them
here.
Main Events
In most towns around the Lake, you'll find many things going on throughout the year, including art exhibitions, festivals, wine and food tastings, theatre events and sports events.
If you'd like to know about any events in particular for this month, then please contact us, as we only cover the main events for the towns of Garda and Riva del Garda each month.
Garda:
Selection of Miss Italia 2009 at the city hall place in Garda at 8.30 pm.
Riva del Garda:
This regatta (boat race) is worth seeing!
'Nights of Fairytales': 4 days of pleasure with Theater, Concerts, Shows, Music, Games and Fun.
There are, of course, all the usual markets that are definitely worth going to. To find out more about when and where they are,
click here.
This Month's Featured Hotel
Every month we feature a Hotel in the Lake Garda area so you can get an idea of the accommodation there. We always feature a hotel with a "guest rating" of 8 or more (out of 10), so they are always all-round great quality places.
Villa Elite Hotel: An enchanting villa located between the amazing Italian Alps and Lake Garda, in the beautiful small town of Limone sul Garda.
This family-run hotel has been recently refurbished in a classical style, which gives the property a feel of a home away from home, thanks to the use of carefully chosen materials and colours.
The hotel staff are incredibly welcoming, helpful and friendly. If you are looking for a relaxing and revitalising stay by the lake Garda, then Villa Elite Hotel should no doubt be your first choice!
You can see a photo of it below, and look at loads more photos and find out more info about the hotel by clicking on the link below the photo.
The Villa Elite Hotel (suite) at Limone
Your Stories
We really want to hear about your Lake Garda experiences and stories, even if it's just a sentence or two. Get your story in a future newsletter and share your experiences with others!
Whether you want to share your favourite
hotel,
town,
family outing,
or sport
you've experienced at Lake Garda, we'd love to
hear all about it.
To Conclude...
We're sure that you now know a few fascinating things about the lovely town of Limone, now you just need to check it out for yourself!
See you next month!
Marcus and Sylvia