Öland’s Windmills

Proudly weathered by the wind, the windmills give the Öland landscape its characteristic silhouette. In the mid-19th century, Öland had about 2,000 mills, and by the turn of the 20th century, this number had remained largely unchanged. Every self-respecting farm had its own mill, which became almost indispensable as people increasingly turned to animal husbandry. Some of the well-known mills on Öland include the row of mills in Lerkaka — often considered the most beautiful and best-preserved on the island. Störlinge is home to the most common type of mill, the so-called stump mill. There’s also Höghälls mill in Högsrum parish and the mills by the Resmo rest area. Of the approximately 2,000 mills on the island during the 1800s, about 355 remain today. The number of mills began to decline in the early 20th century with the advent of new technology and efficient steam mills, rendering the farmers' windmills redundant.