Limone sits on a ledge between the lake and the cliffs, at the northern end of Lake Garda's western shore, and for much of its history it was reachable only by boat. The mountains rise almost sheer behind it, and the old town is a tangle of narrow alleys that run down to a small harbour. It is famous for lemons, though the name may come from a word for boundary rather than from the fruit, and the terraced lemon houses, called limonaie, with their stone pillars and wooden frames covered in glass in winter, are still visible on the hillside. In the nineteenth century, Limone shipped lemons to the cold cities of northern Europe.
The road to the village is a story in itself. The Gardesana Occidentale, which runs along the shore, was blasted through the rock in the early twentieth century, and the stretch near Limone passes through a long series of tunnels with windows cut into the cliff. The riding is dramatic, with the lake glittering below and the rocks above, but it is also slow, with heavy traffic in summer and few chances to overtake. The surface is generally good. Be careful in the tunnels, where the light changes abruptly, and watch for cyclists and pedestrians in the village.
Limone is a place for a walk and an ice cream, rather than a long visit on the bike. The lanes are crowded in summer and the parking is limited, so it is best to leave the bike in the lot at the edge of town and wander. The shops sell lemon products, from soap to liqueur, and the waterfront has cafes where you can sit with a coffee and watch the ferries come and go. Fuel in the village is limited, so fill before arriving, or in Riva del Garda, about nine kilometres to the north, which is a larger town with stations, supermarkets and a pretty old centre.
The climate is mild, with a Mediterranean feel, and olive and lemon trees grow here despite the proximity of the Alps. The best months to visit are April to June and September to October, when the weather is warm but the crowds are smaller.
From Limone, the road to the Tremosine plateau begins, and it is one of the great detours of the lake. If you have a taste for narrow roads and big drops, that is where the day really gets interesting.