Kamšt

The Julian Alps


One of the most interesting examples of mining technology that still exists is the Kamšt, a 13.6m waterwheel made of wood that was used to pump the water out of flooded mines from 1790 until 1948. It is about 1.5km southeast of Mestni trg.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby The Julian Alps attractions

1. Miner’s House

0.45 MILES

Laid out across the slopes encircling the valley are Idrija’s distinctive miners’ houses. Large wooden A-frames with cladding and dozens of windows, they…

2. Anthony Mine Shaft

0.47 MILES

The mine is a ‘living museum’, allowing you to get a feel for the working conditions of mercury miners in Idrija. The entrance is the Anthony Shaft, built…

3. Idrija Lace School

0.59 MILES

The Idrija Lace School was founded in 1876 (it's the biggest and oldest lace school in the world), and continues to offer lace-making skills to younger…

4. Municipal Museum

0.68 MILES

This award-winning museum is housed in the hilltop Gewerkenegg Castle. The excellent collections, which deal with mercury, lace and local history (but,…

5. Gewerkenegg Castle

0.68 MILES

The castle was built in the 1520s to serve as the administrative headquarters of the Idrija mine. This award-winning Municipal Museum is housed inside.

6. Wild Lake

1.17 MILES

A 3km trail called Pot ob Rakah follows the Idrijca River Canal from the Kamšt (an 18th-century waterwheel used by the mines) to Wild Lake, a tiny,…

7. NašRaj

6.82 MILES

Describing this place as a farm just doesn't do it justice. This ecological farm, for want of a better word, sits almost 1000m above sea level around 20km…

8. Cerkno Museum

9.19 MILES

The town's museum is not far southwest of Glavni trg. Its main displays trace the development of the region from earliest times to the modern period, but…