Debeli Rtič ( sl, Debeli rtič, it, Punta Grossa) is a cape in the northern

Adriatic Sea The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to t ...

on the border between

Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...

and

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. It is located north-west of the Slovenian town of Ankaran, and west of the Italian town of

Muggia Muggia ( vec, label=Venetian, Triestine dialect, Muja; german: Mulgs; fur, Mugle; sl, Milje) is an Italian town and ''comune'' in the south-west of the Province of Trieste, in the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia on the border with Slovenia. Lying ...

. The name (both in Slovene and Italian) literally means 'Thick Little Cape'.

Location and geology

Debeli Rtič is located on the west end of the

peninsula, pointing toward northwest. The wide ridge of the cape elevates towards east into Jurjev hrib (George's hill), and gains altitude of 70 meters above sea. Its tip on the west end is characterised by

flysch Flysch () is a sequence of sedimentary rock layers that progress from deep-water and turbidity flow deposits to shallow-water shales and sandstones. It is deposited when a deep basin forms rapidly on the continental side of a mountain building epi ...

cliff In geography and geology, a cliff is an area of rock which has a general angle defined by the vertical, or nearly vertical. Cliffs are formed by the processes of weathering and erosion, with the effect of gravity. Cliffs are common on co ...

s raging from 12 to 21 metres in height, and below them a narrow abrasion terrace. The gradual erosion of the cliffs erodes about 1–2 cm every year.

Demographics and economy

Due to relatively shallow water around the cape and various natural obstacles in the sea it was impossible to build a port anywhere on the cape, so very few decided to live there, however the place was later used as fields to produce food, which remains up to this day. The inner land of the cape is dominated by vineyards in ownership of Vinakoper. The Vinakoper company maintains a tradition of cabernet-growing since 1955. The park proved suitable for wine-growing as the quantity of products is significantly bigger than the counterparts in other nearby regions.

Natural monument

Since 1991, part of the cape is protected as a

natural monument A natural monument is a natural or natural/cultural feature of outstanding or unique value because of its inherent rarity, representative of aesthetic qualities or cultural significance. Under World Commission on Protected Areas guidelines, na ...

, which is also home to the only salt meadow on the shores of the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ...

. It is forbidden to build anything there. The natural monument area spans on . It covers about of coastline around the western edge, including the cliffs and the abrasion terrace. The area also includes the sea area of belt along the coastline, and the small forest of about 50 trees.

References

External links

Debeli rtič
Burger.si
Mladinsko zdravilišče Debeli rtič

Zemljevid
{{DEFAULTSORT:Debeli Rtic Municipality of Ankaran Headlands of Slovenia Slovenian Riviera Landforms of the Slovene Littoral