The Angla windmills (Angla)

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The Angla windmills are the most famous windmills in Saaremaa. Angla is home to the only mill hill that has retained its appearance – a place open to all winds, where the mills of the entire village were built. In 1925, when Angla had 13 farmsteads, there were 9 mills on the hill. Four of the five mills are typical Saaremaa mills on a leg, built at the beginning of the last century. In the middle of them stands a Dutch mill, built in 1927. It is slightly higher. Angla is located 40 km from Kuressaare, the capital of the largest Estonian island Saaremaa. Four windmills have been standing here for almost a hundred years. One of them has been restored and is in working order. The miller gives a tour for tourists, showing how the old mechanisms work. The design is interesting: a massive wooden pole rests on a plank body, which can rotate around its axis. The mills are two-storeyed, with the flour receiver and millstone adjustment mechanism located at the bottom; the threshing and traction mechanisms, which are set in motion by two pairs of mill wings, are located on the second floor. If desired, visitors receive ground flour in a small souvenir bag. There is also a Dutch mill, which will house an exhibition in the summer of 2010 introducing visitors to the history and development of agriculture in the region. In the mill, visitors can try the island's typical types of caraway and other herbal teas, as well as meat loaf. A cultural heritage centre is currently being built in Angla, where everyone can try their hand at various types of handicrafts - make something from clay or dolomite, work with wool, visit musical instrument workshops, and taste fresh homemade bread.