Vodní mlýn ve Stráži nad Ohří Water mill

Welcome to a unique historical monument. Right now, you're standing in front of an old water mill in the Guard over Ohří, located on the banks of the Rivers of Hell, where this water artery flows into the Ohře River. If you look in front of you, you see a large brick object with an attachment above the drive. Feel the strange atmosphere of a place where the murmur of flowing water is mixed with the history of human labour. The mill is today undergoing a thorough reconstruction and is strictly protected as a valuable cultural monument that reminds us of the old times and important technical development of our region.

Let's go back many decades in time and look at how this remarkable area was created. The first written mention of this mill appears in the so-called grunt book and dates back to eighteen hundred fifty-eight. At that time, the first documented owners, Václav and Klár Grund, operated here. Their names are linked to the beginnings of the documented history of this place, where people used the power of falling water to transform grain into flour. The mill served its original purpose of grinding grain, but with the advancing time and the advent of new technologies the whole operation changed significantly.

Now pay attention to the construction itself and the details you have right in front of you. According to historical map records from the year eighteen hundred seventy seven, the mill was already a large brick object. The main building included an annex above the drive as well as two wooden buildings which together formed a large economic unit. When you look at today's construction design, you see a witness to many building modifications. Stop for a moment and look at the solid walls and layout of the entire building near the creek, which has driven the mill wheels for centuries.

If we move a little bit further into the past, we'll encounter the greatest technological boom in this place. The year of the thousand nine hundred thirty brought to the mill a huge modernization. The installation of modern machines was then planned and successfully carried out. Among them was a spiral Francis turbine with 14 horsepower. Thanks to this modern technology the local operation was not limited to traditional grinding of grain. There was also a small power plant and bakery. The mill thus became a small industrial centre at the time, which used the power of flowing water to the maximum.

The interesting thing is that this water mill is an absolute exception. It is one of the few preserved technical monuments in the whole Karlovy Vary region, which, to date, maintain a tangible trace of the industrial revolution in Czech countries. Ask yourself how many places like this are left at our streams and rivers. Most of them took their place in modernising the landscape, but this mill resisted the tooth of time and lasted until today. The turning point for the new history became twenty-nine, when the official monument protection of the mill and associated economic objects began. This ensured the rescue of this unique species for future generations.

Thank you for spending your time at the water mill in the Guard of Fire. We hope you enjoyed our talk and that you are taking away the powerful experience of this fascinating encounter with the history of technology and human creativity. You can go around in peace for a while, see the flow of water in Hell's River and imagine how people worked here many years ago. We wish you a beautiful rest of the day and a happy journey to other discoveries.