Novigrad, Brtonigla and Vabriga: the coast and the vineyard ridge above it

Two worlds sit four kilometres apart here. Down on the peninsula the streets are narrow and full in August; up on the ridge the roads run between vines and the surface stops being tarmac without warning.

What this area is

Novigrad, in Italian Cittanova, stands on a small peninsula on the western coast of Istria, two kilometres north of the river mouth, and the municipality covers 26.6 km². The 2021 census recorded 3,889 residents, the 2011 census 4,345 and the 2001 census 4,002 — a rise and then a fall, while summer traffic went the other way.

Above it lies Brtonigla, Italian Verteneglio, a municipality of 32.9 km² at 141 m and about four kilometres from the sea. Its old name, Hortus Niger, means the garden of black earth and refers to the colour of the soil; this is wine country, and the working tracks between the plots carry as much traffic in September as the coast road does in August. Vabriga lies to the south of the same stretch.

Boundary: the four coastal towns further along this shore, and the hill towns of the interior above the river valley, have their own entries. This one stays on the peninsula, the ridge behind it and the roads that connect them.

What tends to happen here

The waterfront and the old streets. One-way sections, kerbs at an angle, low walls and delivery vehicles stopped where nobody expects them. Scrape damage to wheels, sills and mirrors is routine, and the driver responsible is usually long gone before the mark is noticed.

Unmade tracks between the vines. They look firm and are not. Underbody contact, damaged rims and stone chips thrown up from loose surfaces are the standard findings here, and none of them is visible from three metres away.

The descent and the bends. The road from the ridge to the coast drops the full 141 m in a short distance. Brake temperature, gravel washed onto bends after rain and vehicles meeting on a narrow section produce a damage pattern of their own.

Where the vehicle is inspected

Recovery from this stretch usually ends either near the coast road or up on the plateau, depending on where the vehicle stopped. Ask at the scene where it is being taken and write the address down, because the two directions lead to different places.

We come to the vehicle. Appointments in this part of the coast are normally possible within one to two days, and in the summer months it is worth asking early rather than late.

For damage found in a car park or on the waterfront the order matters: photograph the surroundings and the position first, then the mark itself with a scale object, and note the date and time before the vehicle is moved.

Frequently asked questions

I found the damage on my parked car in the old town. What can be done?

Photograph the vehicle where it stands, the space around it and the height of the mark above the ground before moving anything. Height and direction narrow down the type of vehicle involved, and that part of the record cannot be recreated once the car has been driven away.

The rental agreement says nothing about unmade roads. Should I use them?

That is a question for the agreement rather than for the assessment, and it is worth reading the clause before driving onto a track. Technically, the risk is underbody and wheel contact, so photograph the surface and the route taken if damage does occur there.

Stone chips from a gravel surface. Is that worth reporting?

It is, especially on glass and on the front of the vehicle, because a single chip spreads with the first cold night. Photograph each one with a scale object while the vehicle is still dirty, since a wash removes the dust that shows where the material came from.