The only place of its kind in Poland, the Milling Museum in Osieczna features four windmills – three original, over 200 years old, and one brand new that is a modern reconstruction where you can touch and operate all the mechanisms. In the museum, you’ll learn the secrets of working in a traditional mill and you’ll find out why the miller was so important in the bygone village. All of this is brought to life by the incredible stories told by the museum’s host, Jarek Jankowski.
The History of Osieczna’s Windmills
The oldest of the windmills was built in 1761. The other two also date back to the 18th century. The windmills are located on a hill because the conditions there were favorable. The wind turned the sails, which in turn powered the mill wheels located inside the facility.
In the post-war period, all of the windmills operated, and the last miller, Józef Heinze, stopped grinding grain at the turn of the 1970s and 1980s.
Museum
According to the milling tradition, the Osieczna’s windmills bear their names: Franciszek, Józef Adam and Leon. These names come from their last Polish owners. Since September 2012, the mills have been a part of the Museum of Milling and Agriculture. They are open to both groups and individuals. A few years ago, a fourth windmill was added, built on a scale of 1:2. Thanks to its smaller size, it can be easily operated even by children.
The museum also organizes workshops where you can learn the entire bread-making process: from grinding grain into flour to baking the finished loaves in a wood-fired oven.
There’s also a café next to the museum, whose cozy atmosphere invites visitors to linger a while. There, you can enjoy a delicious coffee or a homemade cake, buy some regional honey and homemade preserves. It’s very likely that you’ll also meet local cats, for whom the windmill hill is a true paradise.
