On  o lovely late March sunny day, we made a trip to the Idrija area. We visited stone water barriers called Kanomlja Klavže and a little urther on, there is also a beautiful waterfall, called Ovčjak (some call it Klavžarica).

The road to the Kanomlja Klavže hike starting point is narrow, but accessible by car; we went with our van. There is a ramp and a sign that says “Klavže 1km on foot”. This is where you leave your vehicle and in about 10-15min of an easy walk, you arrive to the water barrier with a lake next to it.

The Kanomlja Klavže, also known as the Ovčjak Klavže, are large stone water barriers on the Idrijca River in Slovenia. They were built in the early 19th century to transport timber to the Idrija mercury mine.

Water was stored behind the dam and then suddenly released, creating a strong wave that carried logs downstream. This was an efficient transport method before roads were developed.

Due to their size and strength, they are often called the “Slovenian pyramids.” Today, they are an important cultural and historical landmark, showing the ingenuity of past engineering.

After spending some time at Klavže, soaking up some sun, we wanted to look for a waterfall called Ovčjak. There was supposed to be at least one sign, but we didn’t find it nor the marked path. 

We made our way through the branches, along a narrow path above the stream. The trail was covered with leaves, occasionally wet and slippery, and a few times we had to climb over fallen trees. At last, we heard the roar of water and caught sight of the waterfall.

We enjoyed the view and then returned back to the starting point.
We do not recommend this trip all the way to the waterfall for families with small kids, as it is quite demanding – what i mean by that is that it is slippery and narrow. You can still enjoy the 1km lovely road for a walk up the Klavže.