The first thing that strikes you is the scent.
There is a fresh smell of lemon from soaps, perfumes, candles, teas, ice cream, sweets and freshly squeezed fruit. It mingles with the smells of melted cheese, fish and lakeweed from the harbour, grilled meat from one of the restaurants and the spicy scents of rosemary, thyme, cypresses and bay leaves.

In Limone, the lemon is king and limoncello its uncrowned queen.

The little fishing village of Limone sul Garda, which for a long time lay far from the main routes before becoming a popular holiday destination in the 1930s with the opening of the lakeside road, is tucked between mountains heavy with dusk and the western shore of Lake Garda. Narrow, winding alleyways lead up the slopes, and on street corners the houses are covered in lush purple bougainvillea spilling over the walls in a tangle of flowers and leaves. Everything is colourful, painted in broad strokes of pastel. As we approach the village by boat across Lake Garda, we can see the famous lemon groves and stone pillars covered in greenery from far away. These are terraced groves, limonaie, sheltered from the winter cold by high walls, while the stone pillars allow them to be covered with wood and glass during the winter. The groves have been here since the 17th century, and naturally limoncello, one of Italy’s most famous liqueurs, is made here.

We stroll up and down the winding alleyways, along steps and narrow passageways, past a church with magnificent views over the lake, down to the beach and along the waterfront promenade, where palm trees sway in the breeze and sunshine. Everywhere we come across tourists eating lemon ice cream from whole lemon shells and enjoying the occasional Aperol Spritz. We share a pizza down by the water and watch the crowds. High above the old town, you can visit the Limonaia del Castèl lemon grove, home to around a hundred citrus trees, including lemons, oranges, mandarins and kumquats. But today we skip the visit and simply take a leisurely stroll.

The boat from Riva del Garda takes about half an hour, and as we board it in the evening, the lights are reflected in the water as we head back towards our hotel. The scent of lemon follows us far out onto the lake, carried by the breeze.