Porceleyne Fles / Royal Delft

The Porceleyne Fles (aka Royal Delft) is not really a museum: it is a working factory of Delft Blue or Delftware, the traditional pottery the city is famous for.

In the 17th century Delftware was the Dutch answer to Chinese porcelain. Because the the Chinese were very secretive how exactly they made porcelain, and the cost of transporting the wares by merchant ship all the way from China to Europe made it very expensive, some potters in Delft sought and found an alternative: Delft Blue. The style of pottery was very popular in the 17th and 18th century, even to the extent that it was exported to China.

In its heyday there were hundreds of factories throughout the city producing the blue ceramics, nowadays there is only one left.

The Porceleyne Fles offers guided tours of the factory: you can see traditional craftsman painting the blue glazing onto tiles and plates. You can even create your own design in special workshops.