Pretending to be a miller at the outdoor hydro movement museum in Dimitsana.

After a few minutes of driving from the center of the village of Dimitsana we arrived at the Outdoor Hydro Movement Museum. Not knowing exactly what to expect and what to see, we were amazed when we saw a verdant filled with flowing waters where are represented the main terms of water usage from simple people to the professionals in a traditional society.

Having the expertise that was transmitted through the time and from generation to generation, the inhabitants of pre-industrial societies manufactured instruments and facilities, and by taking advantage of the impetuous waters of the region, they were producing flour, processing leather and making gunpowder.

As a visitor I threw corn seeds into a bowl as I was suggested, in order to watch the produce being grinded by the millstones and finally ending up in the flour-pot. I also found interesting the tannery which houses the Museum, in which we were able to watch the various stages of the processing of the peltry and the furs where the tanning takes place.

You can also visit the residence of the tanner and miller at the Museum. The most impressive and interesting of all, was that the water was reclaimed for the milling of unclean niter and the production of gunpowder. Dimitsana rolled as a leader on the supply of gunpowder during the Greek Revolution, as Kolokotronis was saying in texts of the era. It is about a very special place, where we learned basic and important knowledge about our hometown and we enjoyed the glorious nature.

I would highly recommend (especially to the fans of engineering) to visit the museum and pretend for a while to be a miller, or a housewife, or a tanner and or a revolution hero and see how the water would help them in their daily routine.