Windmill in Rudice

The Windmill in Rudice stands on a hilltop above the village of Rudice, deep in the Moravian Karst region of South Moravia. Built in 1865 by Matěj and Františka Ševčík, it once ground grain for local farms and now houses a small regional museum dedicated to the history of the mill and its surroundings.

Where does it stand, and what does it look like?

The windmill sits at roughly 510 metres above sea level, on the edge of the Drahanská Highlands southeast of the village. It's a Dutch-type windmill, built around a circular stone wall 135 cm thick and 7.5 metres tall, originally topped with a rotating shingle-covered roof. That rotating cap let the miller turn the sails to face the wind without having to rotate the entire building — a real improvement over the simpler post mills common elsewhere in the region.

What happened to it over the years?

The mill's story took a few turns. A storm in 1925 destroyed the wind wheel, and the mechanism was subsequently converted to run on electric power, trading its dependence on the weather for its most recognisable feature. During the Second World War the building was sealed shut, and in 1945 its milling rights were formally revoked, ending its working life. Since 1964 it has been listed in the Czech Republic's Central Register of Cultural Monuments, a status that protected it from demolition and paved the way for its later restoration.

What will you find inside?

A museum exhibition opened in the restored building in 1994. The entrance hall covers the history of windmills in general, leading into a guide room furnished to evoke daily life in Rudice around the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Because Rudice has deep roots as a mining and ironworking village — the settlement dates back to 1247, and iron ore has been extracted here since the 10th century — the museum also covers speleology, mineralogy, and the history of local mining and metalworking. Since 2014, visitors can watch a 3D video projection showcasing the underground world of the Moravian Karst caves that riddle the countryside just beyond the village.

How to get there and when to visit?

Rudice lies in the Blansko district, surrounded by the limestone hills and forests typical of the Moravian Karst — a region best known for its caves and karst formations, for which the windmill makes a convenient starting point. It's easiest to reach by car, or as part of a walking route linking up the area's natural attractions. The museum is open during the spring, summer, and early autumn season, and the hilltop location offers views across the surrounding rises of the Drahanská Highlands.

Frequently asked questions

Does the windmill still have working sails? No — the original wind wheel was destroyed by a storm in 1925 and replaced with an electric mechanism. The distinctive stone tower, however, has survived intact.

What type of windmill is it? A Dutch-type windmill, identifiable by its round masonry base and originally rotating cap, which allowed the sails to be turned to face the wind.

Is there more to see than just milling history? Yes — the museum also covers village life around 1900 and, thanks to the surrounding Moravian Karst, local caves, mineralogy, and mining history, including a 3D video projection added in 2014.

When was the building granted heritage protection? It has been listed in the Czech Republic's Central Register of Cultural Monuments since 1964.