Old Windmills have existed for centuries. It was first invented in the Middle East. Ancient or modern, electric or not, they can be spectacular subjects to shoot. If you want to travel far to see them, though, here’s a list of 7 countries to consider. You will find many interesting and beautiful of them. Also, there are many more countries with windmills worth seeing.
Here are the Famous Old Windmills Around the World
1. Kinderdijk Windmills
Kinderdijk Windmills is located in the Alblasserwaard polder at the confluence of the Lek and Noord rivers. To clear the excess water from the polder 19 windmills were built around 1740. They are below the sea level. This group of mills is the largest concentration of old windmills in the Netherlands. Even after mechanical pumps have taken over their function they are still usable and have maintained their condition till now. The windmills of Kinderdijk are one of the most popular Dutch tourist sites.
2. Mykonos Windmills
Mykonos windmills are one of the most known landmarks of the whole Greek island. These can be seen from every point of the village of Mykonos. Now there are 16 windmills on Mykonos, among which 7 are positioned on the landmark hill in Chora. In the 16th century, many of these were constructed by Venetians, which they used for wheat grinding. Mykonos architecture is similar, all have a round shape, white color a pointed roof, and small windows. The most amazing thing is that one of these has been transformed into a museum.
3. Windmills of La Mancha
Windmills of La Mancha or Castilla-La Mancha encompass the vast arid plains of central Spain. This land consists of medieval castles and wine. The famous windmills are immortalized in Miguel Cervantes Don Quixote. The Don Quixote, credited as the first modern novel, was published in two volumes in 1605 and 1615. Several people claimed that it is only the Bible available in more languages.
4. Zaanse Schans
Zaanse Schans is a neighborhood of Zaandam, near Zaandijk, in the Netherlands. This place is a museum and open-air conservation area. It is best known for its collection of windmills and also wooden houses. In Zaanse Schans two windmills are preserved in their original site where they were first constructed. That’s why they don’t make up part of the relocated structures. They were used for many industrial tasks like sawing wood, threshing grains, and making oil from seeds and nuts. Zaanse Schans has developed into an international tourist destination that a million people visit annually.
5. Oland Windmills
Oland is the second-largest Swedish island. It is the smallest of the traditional provinces of Sweden, with only a few people living there. The majority of the island’s land is farmland and woods. The island has over 400 wooden windmills which makes it an iconic landmark. They were designed and constructed to meet the requirements of individual farms. Currently, each of them is a protected monument.
6. Rhodes Windmills
Mandraki windmills are located in Mandraki Harbour in Rhodes. They reside on a wavebreaker. These Rhodes were helpful in pulverizing grains that were transported through commercial ships that were docked in the harbor. It is said that there were 14 windmills but almost all of them have dismantled and crumbled over time. Now Mandraki is an important tourist place having plenty of seaside cafes with a view of the yachts and fishing boats.
7. Windmills of Nashtifan
The windmills of Nashtifan are located on the arid and windswept plains of northeastern Iran. This place is home to some of the earliest in the world. This structure is still in use today. The vertical wood blades and horizontal rotation describe it. The place is also famous for the wind that blows 120 days a year across the region, which supplies the required energy to run it. All the are built with natural clay, straw, and wood. For almost 1,000 years these were used to grind grains for flour.