Vodní mlýn Tamíř

Tamíř water mill is a historic brick mill in the village of Petrovice u Sušice, in the Klatovy district of western Bohemia, on the edge of the Šumava foothills. It stands on the Kepelský stream, just before the point where the stream joins the Volšovka river, and offers a glimpse into how the rural economy of the Sušice region worked before electricity changed everything.

Where exactly is the Tamíř mill?

The mill carries the house number 19 and sits within Petrovice u Sušice, a few kilometres from the town of Sušice, in a landscape of gentle hills leading up to the Šumava range. Its spot on the Kepelský stream, close to where the water meets the larger Volšovka, was a classic choice for millers of the past — enough drop in the water and easy access to a bigger watercourse made turning the mill wheel practical.

What is the history behind the mill?

The mill occupies the site of a former minor gentry estate that was destroyed in the aftermath of the Battle of White Mountain in 1620, when many such properties across Bohemia were confiscated or abandoned. The mill building itself already existed by 1782 — on 7 July of that year, its owner Vilém Mýdlo sold it, together with the surrounding fields, to Jakub Blahník for 550 Rhenish gold coins, a fairly typical price for a mid-sized milling estate at the time.

The building's history includes its share of misfortune: in 1823 it burned down. It was rebuilt two years later, in 1825, and that reconstruction is linked to Jiří Luhan, who married Josefa, the daughter of a later owner from the Blahník family, and took over the property with her. More recent European history left its mark here too — one of the decorative vases on the gable was destroyed by gunfire in 1945, near the end of the Second World War.

What does the mill's architecture look like?

The building is an example of folk Baroque style, typical of rural architecture in southwestern Bohemia. It is a brick, two-storey structure with wavy, volute-shaped gables — a decorative motif common to the period. The front gable originally displayed five ornamental vases, the rear gable three. The mill complex also includes a barn, a mill race (the channel that once carried water to the wheel), and two stone footbridges crossing that channel. The water wheel itself is gone; it disappeared once the mill stopped operating.

Can visitors see the Tamíř mill today?

The mill is listed as an immovable cultural monument of the Czech Republic (register number 46548/4-3224), which means the building is under heritage protection. It remains, above all, a piece of evidence of local milling history rather than a staffed attraction with set opening hours — the best way to see it is from the outside, on a walk around Petrovice u Sušice, for example while following the Kepelský stream or heading toward the Volšovka valley.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Tamíř mill located? In the village of Petrovice u Sušice, Klatovy district, on the Kepelský stream near Sušice.

How old is the mill? The building already stood before 1782, and after a fire in 1823 it was rebuilt in 1825.

Is the mill a protected monument? Yes, it is listed as a Czech cultural monument under register number 46548/4-3224.

Does the mill wheel still turn? No, the original water wheel no longer exists; only the building, barn and mill race survive.