Debeli Rtič (, ) is a cape in the northern
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Se ...
on the border between
Slovenia
Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...
and
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
. It is located north-west of the Slovenian town of
Ankaran, and west of the Italian town of
Muggia. 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
Muggia 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 cliff
In geography and geology, a cliff or rock face is an area of Rock (geology), 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. ...
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, 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 east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...
. 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 rtičZemljevid
{{DEFAULTSORT:Debeli Rtic
Municipality of Ankaran
Headlands of Slovenia
Slovenian Riviera
Landforms of the Slovene Littoral