Can you drive by something for 20 years, and not be aware of the wonders just few meters from the road? You can. I had not heard about the Bemböle watermill ruins.
I was looking through the Internet to find interesting places to visit nearby. Ruins, caves... and found a story about the the Bemböle watermill. I had some trouble locating the place, as the descriptions were a bit cryptic, and the Ring III intersection that it was next to spans a large area.
I had no idea about the ruins being right next to a highway ramp I take almost daily. They are literally twenty meters away from the ramp, but hidden from view by trees and bushes. In fact, I did not even realise there is a river or rapids there. Or even that the ground drops into a valley under all the vegetation.
There are two mills that operated until 1930s. Perhaps they burned? Today only their foundations and rock walls remain. The mills are originally from 1700s.
On the upper mill you can squeeze through a narrow opening in the waterway and enter the inside of the building that seems largely intact expect for missing roof and wall on one side.
The whole area is grown over with thick bushes and trees, and it is difficult to move around. Spring is probably the best time to visit. I entered from downstream, from the walkway, and walked the stream forward in boots. I exited upstream to the left, but that was probably a mistake. There are some houses and in addition to the bushes, it is difficult to find a place to pass the houses. I do wonder what there would be upstream though. Might be an interesting trek in the winter time.
Lower mill:
Entrance through which one can go inside the upper mill:
Inside:
Me on top of the wall on the lower mill:
The mills are remembered in street names of the area:
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