Aarsdale Mølle
Dutch Windmill in Aarsdale
In 1876, farmer Hans Peter Mikkelsen bought a plot of land south of Aarsdale, and the following year he built a solid, octagonal brick mill on the site.
The wall up to the grinding floor is constructed of natural stone, reportedly using over 500 cartloads of stone. Above this, the mill body is built of fired bricks. The mill cap is thatched with larch wood shingles.
The windmill was constructed by millwright Didrik Kjøller from Nexø and his four sons. The mill has remained in the family’s ownership since then. It was the last of Bornholm’s windmills to cease operations in 2003. The mill is still functional and is shown to tourists.
Aarsdale Mølle is octagonal and built of bricks. This type of mill is typical of Bornholm, which has had eight of them. It stands approximately 20 meters tall.
Around 1880, the southern wing was built, including a bakery, which was closed in the early 1900s. The warehouse was constructed in 1904, and an engine was acquired. The mill is built of bricks and originally had a bulbous cap with a tailpole and cloth sails on the wings.
