Windmill, Wooden windmill in Stará Ves, Czech Republic

The Windmill is a small square wooden tower on a hill near Horní Nový Dvůr, about 430 meters above sea level. Its walls are vertical planks, and the pitched roof is covered with wooden shingles, with small rectangular and round windows letting light into the interior.

Two accounts exist for its origin: Bílovec's chronicler dates it to 1878 at Leskovec, moved here in 1910, while the 1880 Third Military Survey map records it already standing, built in 1830 and milling until 1942. It was renovated in 1965 without renewing the milling gear, repaired again in 1985, and in 2000 received new trusses, shingle roof and wall sections for 325,000 CZK, with chemical woodworm treatment following in 2001.

Visitors often notice the old grinding stones and wooden gears left inside, which give a direct sense of how wind power was once used to turn grain into flour. The mill also carries a German-style design that reflects the building traditions brought into this part of the countryside by earlier craftsmen.

The mill stands at 430 m on the Nízký Jeseník plateau, 2.5 km southwest of Stará Ves and next to the Horní Nový Dvůr settlement; the town of Bílovec owns it. A staircase leads up to the entrance, and the windward side is clad in shingles. The building serves as a museum, so check opening times before setting out.

The mill no longer has its tail, so it cannot turn into the wind on its own, but the long blades are still attached to the front. Locals at a nearby house keep the key, and visitors who ask politely may be allowed inside to see the old grinding machinery up close.