Vipava at Miren (town centre)
The Vipava loops around Miren on three sides, and the long pool held back by the Orehovlje weir reaches right into the town centre, where the river is at its deepest. From a small pier on the left bank you drift north and soon reach the 'hole', the deepest point of the dive – around 7 m when the sheet was written, and up to 10 m depending on gravel. After the river bends east there are many 4–5 m pools with shallows between them, and you can continue all the way to the Orehovlje weir. This entry is in the centre of Miren, about 600 m from the separate Pri Selu weir site (vipava-miren-pri-selu), so it is a different dive.
Facts
- Region: Slovenia – Lakes, Rivers & Caves
- Area: Vipava valley & Karst (Škocjan)
- Depth: 0–7 m
- Level: beginner
- Current: low
- Type: drift, channel
- Coordinates: 45.88798, 13.60263
- Highlights: deep hole ('luknja') of about 7 m, up to 10 m depending on gravel, chain of 4–5 m deep pools, small pier entry on the left bank, drift down to the Orehovlje weir, rocky banks, gravel bed with algae and silt
- Tips: Leave the motorway at Vrtojba, drive south to Miren, cross the Vipava bridge and continue through the centre; on the left (east) side of the road there is a long wall with a gap and dense greenery behind it. Park by the road at the gap; a footpath leads to a small pier on the left bank, where you enter and can also exit. Swimming upstream (south) is pointless as it gets shallow. The marked out-and-back dive takes about two hours (one hour each way) – turn back before halfway to the Orehovlje weir; a one-way dive to the weir (exit on the left bank) also takes about two hours. Best at medium-low water, when the current is barely noticeable. Visibility is poor: around 1 m in summer, sometimes under 0.5 m, better in winter – a compass is essential, take a torch for the deeper pools and a snorkel for returning on the surface. Not suitable for night dives. Water up to 20 °C in summer, about 5 °C in winter. Local club: DPD Soča Nova Gorica. The SPZ sheet dates from 2017; gravel and depths may have changed. No specific diving ban was found here, but check locally.