Vipava at Bilje (old mill weir)
The weir of an old mill at Bilje backs up the Vipava into a pool several kilometres long, up to 7 m deep in mid-channel. The gravel bed is littered with First World War remains, some of them still dangerous, and there are plenty of freshwater mussels and shoals of small fish. You can do a simple out-and-back from the mill or a longer drift of about 800 m from the sewage works down to the weir.
Facts
- Region: Slovenia – Lakes, Rivers & Caves
- Area: Vipava valley & Karst (Škocjan)
- Depth: 0–7 m
- Level: beginner
- Current: low
- Type: drift, channel
- Coordinates: 45.89027, 13.62822
- Highlights: several-kilometre pool behind an old mill weir, freshwater mussels, shoals of small fish, WWI remains (some dangerous), steel cable across the river as a landmark
- Tips: Park at the sewage works or the old mill. Short dive: enter and exit on the weir by the mill, swim upstream and return. Long dive: enter where the stream joins at the sewage works and drift ~800 m to the weir – banks are steep and muddy so you can rarely get out on the way; plan air for about 1.5 hours (15–18 l cylinder) and carry a snorkel. A steel cable across the river marks just over half way. Do not touch war remains. Dive at low water; poor visibility, no night dive (difficult entry/exit). The SPZ sheet dates from 2012; river gravel, banks and access roads may have changed since.