What a day jam packed with plans to visit the gorgeous places around Lake Garda. We hired a private car ride up to the most northern point on the lake.
Lake Garda, the largest (area 143 square miles [370 square km]) of the Italian lakes, bordering Lombardy (southwest and west), Veneto (east and southeast), and Trentino-Alto Adige (north). It is surpassed in area in the Alpine region only by Lakes Geneva and Constance. Lying at an elevation of 213 feet (65 metres), the lake is 34 miles (54 km) long and 2–11 miles (3–18 km) wide, with a shoreline of 77.5 miles (125 km) and a maximum depth of 1,135 feet (346 metres). Separated from the Adige River valley by the narrow ridge of Mount Baldo, the lake is fed by the Sarca River at its northern end, while the Mincio flows out toward the Po River at the southern end. Narrow at the northern end, between towering cliffs, the lake widens gradually southward into a nearly circular basin, with rich vegetation on the southern and western shores.
Riva del Garda is one of the principal lakeside towns, situated where the lake is narrow and surrounded by cliffs. The area benefits from a temperate Mediterranean climate due to its sheltered location by the Alps, making it a popular resort destination.
If you were wondering where Speedy Gonzales is these days…
He started a business in Riva 😝
Time to hop on the ferry to Limone. We’ve been looking forward to this place, an old fishing village. The actual population of Limone is just over a thousand. It was Limone’s lemons that helped it gain international acclaim. The village of Limone wasn’t named for its lemons, but rather for the Latin limite, meaning border. These parts traditionally served as the border between Italy and Austria.
We followed the 🍋 signs
The project of the Comunità Montana Parco Alto Garda Bresciano of a museum-naturalistic path among the lemon groves of Garda has materialized so far with the recovery of the gardens of the Pra dela fam, in Tignale, and of the Castèl, in Limone.
The Pra dela farm is a strip of land on the lake between the mouths of the Baès and Piovere streams. The Parisini family built the “Old Garden” in 1754.
The lemon groves, together with the nearby Angher one, produced lemons until the early twentieth century: 68,936 in 1907, 145,344 in 1920, 44,307 in 1927.
The abandonment concerned first the “Old Garden”. In 1984, Garda proposed a cultural recovery of three coules: the pillars were reinforced, the wood of the roof and the solar front was replaced, the water channels for irrigation were arranged, new lemons were planted.
The lemon house has been open to the public since November 1985; there are about a hundred citrus fruits (lemons, bitter oranges, grapefruits and kumquats) in production.
The Limonaia del Castèl is located in the historic center of Limone, right behind the mountain, and extends over several hills, for an area of square meters. 1,633.
The central house acts as a connection between the terraces and is about to be equipped as a museum-didactic center. The lemon tree has been open to the public since August 2004.
Spectacular views, not the season for 🍋 but nice to tour it a few beauties
Spectacular views
Time to walk downhill & back into town to explore.
A lil tourist fun ❤️
Time to meet up for the next ferry ride to Malcesine but first Lemon-aide made from fresh squeezed 🍋
Bad news to see this sign that the ferries are full….plan B or C
The ticket booth told us we could come back at 17:00 to check if tickets are available…let’s eat and work on alternatives.
We found a nice place and ordered while searching taxi services, buses, other ferries, pedalos or kayaking. We’re at the top of the lake so it’s outrageously expensive and we’re not sure if we can get on the ferry boat.
Tony & I had the biggest calzone we’ve ever seen…
And limoncello before going back to check on tickets
Not much time to explore so we waited. Jeff nabbed 6 tix. The lines moved a few times but we were determined to get on and not get shut out or stuck. So the ferry came with a change back to Garda then switch. It was a cluster but we got on the boat, got to Garda. Waited for the next ferry and actually ended up meeting a lovely British lady named Jackie. Best of all we were treated to a lovely sunset cruise back to our home away from home.
Tomorrow a visit to Sirmione, one stop on the ferry and an evening visit to the thermo pools….
