Vodní mlýn (Citov) Water mill

Welcome to the water mill in Citov. You're standing on the right bank of the Moravka River, and right now, you're looking at a place that's really unique. There's a building in front of you that's not just an ordinary house, but it's one of the few preserved mill files that you have left in this whole county. Before we take a deeper tour, I suggest you close your eyes for a moment and listen. Do you hear the constant movement of water? That sound is the heart of this place. It is the water that has been flowing here that has given life to this place for centuries and has been the main engine of everything that has happened here throughout its history.

Let us now return together in time and understand why this place is so special. You might think that this mill has always stood here as a place for grinding grain, but its roots are much deeper and more human. It's fascinating that this particular place had a completely different purpose in the past. At the very beginning of the eighteenth century, the three neighbouring municipalities, Citov, the Faithful and the Emperor, together established a shelter. It was not a luxury palace, but a place for lepers, for those who at the time had not enough to provide their own livelihood and need protection and shelter. In this very place, where the most vulnerable were taken care of, this water mill was set up in 17 hundred thirty-nine. It is a beautiful combination of the history of helping others and the subsequent development of the agricultural economy.

Now pay attention to the construction itself, which stands right before your eyes. Notice the resemblance. It's a one-storey building that looks very firm and stable. It is walled and its architecture tells us about how life and work has been done here in the past. There's one very important thing you shouldn't miss. This whole complex of buildings, both the mill part and the residential house, is connected under one large roof. This gives us a clear idea that the boundaries between work and private life practically did not exist here. People here worked by the water and right next door, under the same roof, building their homes and nurturing their families. Everything was connected in one whole, just as there is working with home.

If you look at the facade of the building now, try to find the details that people left behind. If you look carefully at its surface, you will find a record that clearly tells us the year the mill was set up, the year seventeen hundred thirty-nine. It's like signing historical time right in the plaster. And now if you look at the corner of the building, you'll see something else very interesting. In the plaster itself there is a modern sun clock. They're quiet, but very wise. They remind us that time flows here at its own pace, dictated by the movement of the sun and the flow of water in the river.

But the history of this place does not end in the eighteenth century. The mill had to change constantly to survive and serve people in new times. Over the centuries he has undergone several changes in owners and his function has changed dramatically. The original agricultural mill has gradually become something much more modern. In nineteen hundred and fifteen, there was a major breakthrough, which brought light to the dark areas of the mill. Mr. Konstantin Pavlík installed electric lighting here. Imagine the amazing change where a place that was dependent on daylight and the flames of candles became a modern place with electricity. This change was so significant that the mill later became a small hydropower plant. This shows how this object managed to go from old agricultural traditions to new-era technologies.

In the following years, history continued to revolve around new people and new organisations. In the year one thousand nine hundred fifty-nine the assets were transferred to the local National Committee in Citov and subsequently the single agricultural cooperative took care of this area. The name of Mr Novotný, who was associated with this place at some time, appears in the local and in the records. Each of these names, each of these periods, has left its mark here, although today it may seem that there is only peace and quiet.

There's one interesting thing that can make you think. Think about how this place changed in people's eyes. Once it was a shelter for the poor, then a place where the ground grain for the whole neighborhood, and finally a place that produced electricity. It's a fascinating journey from the simplest need for survival to advanced technology. And although the mill is quiet today, its existence is proof of the constant movement of human efforts for a better life.

Now we'll leave you to enjoy the atmosphere of this place in peace. Take a look at the surrounding shore of Morávka, see the calm that exists here, and try to imagine all the people who stood before you looking at the same water. Thank you for coming to see this precious mill set and for paying attention to his story. We wish you a beautiful rest of your journey and hope this place has enriched you with new perceptions.