Attractions and Places To See around Idrija - Top 20

The hut stands at the upper edge of a large clearing just below the peak of Hleviška planina, one of the peaks of the hilly area between Idrijca and Nikovo. The first outpost was set up by Idrija mountaineers in a house they bought from the forester Križič and opened on 20 July 1948. Hleviška planina is a popular excursion spot for the people of Idrijca and a point on the Slovenian Mountain Trail, so the hut soon became too small. In 1953, they began building a new, larger hut next to the old one; it was opened on 19 June 1955. The hut was later improved in many ways: in 1975, a water supply was installed, and in 1979 it was thoroughly renovated. Between 1985 and 1989, the Idrija Mountaineering Association enlarged and modernised the hut: an extension was built, the interior was modernised and the exterior of the building was arranged. The ceremonial opening of the enlarged and renovated hut was on June 18, 1989, during the celebration of the 85th anniversary of the Idrija Mountaineering Association. Another thorough renovation took place in the years 2000 - 2005, when it was the 50th anniversary of the hut's opening. A winter room with four beds has also been arranged. The stamps of the Slovenian Mountain Trail, the Idrija-Cerkljanje Mountain Trail and the Slovenian Touring Bike Trail are located in a box, hung under the canopy of the woodshed. View: A more extensive view is from the nearby grassy peak of Hleviška planina. To the east we can see Idrija nearby, above it the Gore, and to the right Medvedje Brdo; on the south side the Črnovrška plateau with Javornik and Špik rises above the narrow Bela valley; To the southwest and west we see the lonely farms in Čekovnik, a sprawling hilly settlement between Idrijca and Nikovo, and behind us the northern slopes of the Trnovski gozd with Golaki; to the northwest are the Vojskarska plateau and Jelenk, nearby is the valley along the Nikova stream, and ahead we see part of the sprawling settlement of Kanomlja; to the north we see Porezen, Črni vrh nad Novaki, Blegoš, Ratitovec, Bevkov vrh, Ermanovec, Stari vrh and Lubnik, and the horizon is closed by the Julian Alps with Triglav, the Karavanke and the Kamnik Alps.

Divje jezero is a karst siphon lake (Vaucluse spring), located approximately 2 km south of Idrija. The type of karst spring - Vaucluse spring is named after the Fontaine-de-Vaucluse spring in the Vaucluse region of Provence in southern France, east of Avignon. Springs of this type are characterized by the fact that water flows to the surface from great depths under pressure through steep channels. The lake lies in a stone cauldron under the hundred-meter cliffs that border this northern edge of the Črnovrška plateau. Divje jezero is also a karst spring, as water flows into the lake from a steeply descending trench, which has been explored to a depth of 160 m so far. Although the lake surface is usually calm, after heavy rains there can be strong eruptions of water, up to 60 m³/s. The Jezernica River flows from Divje Jezero, which is the shortest surface-flowing river in Slovenia and flows into the Idrijca River after 55 meters. The water temperature in the lake fluctuates only between 7 and 10 °C throughout the year. The lake was protected as a natural monument in 1967 and since 1972 has been arranged for visitors as the first Slovenian open-air museum.

The Path of the Idrija Naturalists – The path of the Idrija Naturalists leads along the left bank of the Idrijca River. At the end of the 16th century, the Idrijca River was dammed at Kobila and the first rakes were built – a water channel that was initially led to the city center. Today, it only runs from the dam at Kobila to the kamšta. Initially, the rakes were made of wood, but in 1776 they were walled in stone. It is no secret that the rakes were built for the needs of the Mercury Mine. Today, the mercury heritage of the two largest mercury mines in the world, in Almadén and Idrija, is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. For centuries, the water flow from the rakes powered the kamšta mining equipment, which pumped cave water and lifted ore. The last kamšta, which is still preserved, was built in 1790 and operated continuously for 160 years. It pumped 300 liters of water per minute from a depth of 283 m.

The Idrija Kamšt is a pumping device in the Idrija mercury mine with the largest wooden wheel in Europe. Kamšt is the mining name for a water-powered pump for pumping cave water, typical of Idrija. The name comes from the German word "Kunst" (art). In the past, there were several Kamšts in Idrija, but only the largest of them has survived, which pumped water from the Jožef shaft. It was built in 1790, and the diameter of the wheel measures 13.6 meters. The wheel was connected to a 75-meter-long horizontal wooden frame. The horizontal movement was transmitted to a vertical wooden pole, which was connected to step-by-step piston pumps. In one minute, the Kamšt pumped up to 400 liters of water, first from a depth of 235 m, and later even from a depth of 283 m. Due to its efficient pumping, it operated until 1953, i.e. for 163 years. The driving water flowed through a special canal called Rake, 3.5 km long, which was built around 1600 for the supply of driving water. The power of the Kamšti was between 75 and 100 horsepower, and the wheel took 13 seconds to make one revolution.

The city of Idrija is famous for its mercury mines and factories that have been active for several hundred years.

Idrija is a small town that owes its fame to its historic mine and mercury extraction facilities. Mercury mining and production began several centuries ago.

I recommend a visit by bike or on foot. The lake is truly beautiful but at the same time eerie, as we do not know its exact depths. The shortest river, Jezernica, flows out of it, which flows into the Idrijca after a few meters. You start at one of the larger parking lots in Idrija, from where it is about 3km to Divje Jezera. An ideal starting point also for those who visit the city with a camper. On the way to the lake (if we pay attention), we can see the remains of the Italian caves and bunkers.

A nice, easy cycling tour. We can start from the center of Idrija where there are parking lots for cars. To the hut there are mostly uphill climbs, but we can have a good snack. I recommend Idrijske žlikrofi 😉