Makkum

Royal Tichelaar at Makkum has been making pottery since 1594 and has been in the same family for about thirteen generations, which makes it generally regarded as the oldest company in the Netherlands. It works tin-glazed earthenware in the tradition that produced Delftware, using local Frisian clay, and it kept going when the Delft factories closed - so Makkum, not Delft, is where the Dutch majolica tradition has been continuously practised. The works can be visited with the throwing, glazing and hand-painting shown, and the factory has commissioned contemporary designers including Hella Jongerius and Studio Job to work with the technique. The village is a small IJsselmeer harbour with a marina, a Waag holding a ceramics museum, and a beach. It sits behind the dyke on the old Zuiderzee coast.

What you actually see

• Pottery since 1594 - the oldest company in the country, same family throughout.
• Tin-glazed earthenware - the Delftware tradition kept going where Delft stopped.
• Hand-painting shown - the works open with throwing and decoration demonstrated.
• Contemporary commissions - designers working with the historic technique.

When to go

April to October. Half a day.

Honest expectations

Factory visits are on set times and days - check before travelling. Much sold as Makkum or Delft elsewhere is transfer-printed and industrial. The village is small and busy with boaters in summer.

Nearby

Workum is south; Harlingen and the Wadden ferries are north.