Description in English

The model presents Rother’s Mills and the immediate surroundings, reproduced on scale of 1:200. It was made using 3D printing technology. The base on which it is displayed measures 100 × 100 centimeters. There are slanted information boards around it, presented in four versions: printed text in Polish and English, and Braille in Polish and English.

The front of the model is on the side of the slanted board with the Rother’s Mills logo placed in the center. To the left of the logo there is a description of the site in Polish Braille, and to the right – in English Braille.

Moving to the right, the next board contains the same description in printed Polish. The third board presents interesting facts in both printed text and Braille, in Polish and English. The fourth board contains the description in printed English.

The legend is located on the base on the left-hand side when facing the model. It presents, from left to right:
a) a map of the surrounding area,
b) arrangedin a column: legends for tactile graphics,
c) arranged in a column: the height of a human figure to help understand the scale, and a QR code leading to an audio description,
d) two columns containing a list of places in four language versions,
e) the scale marking and a compass rose.

Elements on the model are marked with numbers from 1 to 15. The numbers are placed on round tokens. Additionally, surfaces such as grass, water, sand, low vegetation and high vegetation are marked with tactile graphics.

The model depicts Mill Island and its surroundings in their contemporary form, as of 2025. The largest part is occupied by the Rother’s Mills complex. It begins just behind the legend, near the symbol denoting human height. These are three connected buildings shaped like an inverted letter “L”.

Stand at the front of the model, that is, by the board with the Rother’s Mills logo. Token no. 1 is placed at the corner of the tallest building. You are currently in this building. The Mill is built of brick on a square plan. Two elongated, lower buildings extend from it: the Flour Granary and the Grain Granary.

In the past, machines in the Mill ground grain into flour. They were powered by mill wheels driven by water from the river. Today, these wheels no longer exist. A model of such a wheel can be seen in the exhibition Knots. The Story of the City by the River. If you are curious about how such a mill worked, visit our exhibition Mill–Machine, where you will learn about the entire process of turning grain into flour.

Today, the Mill houses the entrance area, where you are now, including the info point, ticket office, and cloakroom. One floor above is the Mill Hall with a stage and audience seating. On the second floor there is the Mill–Machine exhibition, and above it a temporary exhibition hall. In the future, this space will house BrainSpace, an exhibition dedicated to the human brain. At the very top there is a viewing point. On the model it appears as a recess in the roof shaped like the letter “C”.

Token 2 is located to the right of token 1.
The Grain Granary is a building adjacent to the Mill. Its walls are constructed in a half-timbered form filled with brick. Inside, the structures are wooden.
On the other side, the building is immersed in water. In the past, barges transporting goods docked there. Grain was hoisted directly from the barges into the Granary, where it was cleaned and dried.
Today these spaces serve different purposes. The ground floor and first floor houses the Knots exhibition and the café New Place. On the second floor there are rooms used for meetings, as well as a space called Urban Lab. The third floor contains offices for Rother’s Mills staff. On the fourth floor there are rooms used for various events.

Token 3 is located by the wall of the building, near the “human height” mark on the legend.
The Flour Granary was built in a similar way to the Grain Granary. Flour that was ground in the Mill later was stored here. This building has not yet been fully fitted out. The ground floor and first floor house the Monka restaurant, and on the fourth floor there is the SOWA exhibition. The remaining rooms are used for organizing various events.
In the future, the building will include a bookshop and design store, a culinary workshop, educational laboratories, conference rooms, and a children’s playroom.

Token 4 is located between tokens 1 and 3, next to a small building with a gable roof.

This was once the location of the boiler house. The building was completely destroyed and then rebuilt. Today it houses the café-bakery Woda.

Token 5 is located to the right of token 4.

The chimney once belonged to the boiler house. Today it is not only a historical monument—it has been incorporated into the ventilation system and serves as an exhaust vent. It is 17 meters tall.

Token 6 is located to the right of token 5.

The terrace is an open recreational space with a fountain. There are comfortable seats that encourage relaxation and conversation. It is a meeting place for residents and visitors and is also frequently used during outdoor events organized by Rother’s Mills.

Token 7 is located to the right of token 6, next to a small building with a gable roof.

The building from 1908 once served as a restroom for Mill workers. Today it houses an Italian-style ice cream parlour serving ice cream, coffee, and desserts. Deck chairs and seating have been placed in front of the venue, creating a comfortable place to relax with a view of the river.

Token 8 is located on the tactile graphic marked as a lawn.

An installation in the form of a large black sign “MŁYNY” (it is a polish for “MILLS”) functions as a playground. It was designed by a student of the Faculty of Design at the Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology. Children can climb on the letters, slide down them, or sit on them, making the space attractive for play.

Go to the opposite side of the model. Token 9 is located on the water marked with a tactile graphic, in front of the Grain Granary.

The Grain Canal was created in the mid-19th century. It was used to transport grain—barges moored in the canal carried raw materials to the Mill. Today the canal is partially filled in, but originally it connected to a branch of  Brda River called Młynówka.

Token 10 is located to the left of token 9.

Przystań Bydgoszcz is a hotel and marina. In addition to rooms, it offers a sauna, a restaurant, and a conference room. You can moor boats here, and in summer it is possible to rent kayaks and pedal boats.

Token 11 is located near the right corner of the model, on water marked with a tactile striped texture.

Młynówka is a branch of the Brda River in the past it was the main riverbed of Brda. Even today It flows quickly around Mill Island but in the past, water from Młynówka also powered the mill wheels. Today, it is still possible to walk along its banks. On the opposite bank is the so-called Bydgoszcz Venice. The Młynówka is a very clean river, so various animals can be spotted here, including beavers, otters, ducks, and swans.

Token 12 is located near the left corner of the model, on water marked with a tactile graphic.

The Brda is a river flowing through the city center. It is about 250 km long. In Bydgoszcz it flows into the Vistula River. Brda is also connected via  Bydgoszcz Canal to Noteć River. Thanks to this, Bydgoszcz is an important piece of the International Waterway E70 which connects inland waterways and it is possible to sail from Lithuania to the Netherlands. In the 19th century, many goods were transported this way by barges. You can learn more about this on our Knots exhibition on the ground floor.

Token 13 is located above token 11.

Mennica Street, along which the Mills are located, took its name from the mint that once stood on Mill Island. Mennica is polish word for mint.

Token 14 is located above token 13, next to a building with a sloping roof.

In the past, this building belonged to the Rother’s Mills complex. The Mill manager lived here. Today it houses one of the branches of the Local Museum. The interiors have been arranged to resemble the manor house of Leon Wyczółkowski, who lived in Gościeradz near Bydgoszcz. Leon Wyczółkowski was an outstanding Polish artist and a student of Jan Matejko. In his will, he bequeathed his artistic legacy to the city of Bydgoszcz. Today, Leon Wyczółkowski House displays memorabilia of the painter, his workshops, and the collection of his works.

Move to the front of the model. Token 15 is located in the right corner, next to a building with a sloping roof.

In the past, a mint was located here. The most beautiful coin in Europe was minted here—the famous 100-ducat coin of Sigismund III Vasa. Today this building houses one of the branches of the Local Museum—the European Money Centre. Here you can admire the Bydgoszcz Treasure—valuables discovered in 2018 in Bydgoszcz Cathedral. These include nearly 500 coins from across Europe, jewelry, devotional objects, and amulets.