Babič Mill, Floating watermill in Veržej, Slovenia

The Babič Mill is a watermill on the Mura River with a wooden structure built on four columns and a water wheel attached to two iron floating boats. The setup lets the river current power the grinding machinery.

The Babič family bought the fully floating Kolmanič mill in 1912; it burned down completely in 1927. Within a year they built a new mill on the same spot, placing the mill house on the bank and the wheel on boats (kumpe), with power transmitted by a steel rope. Floods carried that mill away too, forcing the family to build again in 1947; since then an electric motor assists the wheel in dry months. High water took the wheel again in 1990, and the present version is the fourth in succession.

The mill shows how grain processing was traditionally done in this region and keeps alive the craftsmanship that mattered to local communities for generations.

Visitors can buy various milled products like rye flour, wheat flour, cornflour, and grain porridge directly at the mill. These items are made from locally grown grains.

This is Slovenia's last working floating mill, and it adapts to changing water levels through a special anchoring system. This clever design has let it keep operating in the same river section for many decades.