Rola młynów i wiatraków drewnianych w rozwoju turystyki dziedzictwa kulturowego na Litwie

The aim of this article is to show the role of wooden water and wind mills in the heritage tourism development in Lithuania. It should be emphasized that the wooden architecture is an interesting type of Lithuanian heritage which provides tourists with a lot of historical information, whereas wooden water and wind mills are a noteworthy element of technical heritage giving an insight into the operation of mills and into millers’ lives. In order to achieve the set up aim the analysis of preservation of wooden water and wind mills was carried out. The examples of good management of the mills were distinguished. These examples show us how the best mills are adapted for tourism. A qualitative study revealed how wooden mills can be adapted for the needs of heritage tourism development in Lithuania. Experts helped to define the type of foreign and domestic tourists visiting these sites. The article presented also the process of renovation of the mills and restoration of the equipment. Moreover, it presented the types of services offered in the mills and the forms of publicizing the offer, as well as the investment plans of the owners. The carried out research revealed main problems which the mills’ owners encounter. On the basis of the gathered information, considerable attention was given to further plans and prospects of adapting mills for heritage tourism purposes.