Royal Glass Factory

The Real Fábrica de Cristales de La Granja has been producing glass since 1727, when Felipe V established it to supply the palace and free Spain from dependence on expensive Venetian imports. The factory still operates today and visitors can watch glassblowers at work — the same traditional techniques, the same furnaces, the same glowing gobs of molten glass being blown and shaped by hand.

The attached museum, the Museo del Vidrio y el Cristal de La Granja, is Spain's principal glass museum and traces the history of the craft from ancient times to the present, with particular focus on the royal factory's output. Historic pieces include the large mirrors made for the palace interior and elaborately decorated chandeliers. The combination of working factory and museum makes this more than a passive cultural visit. The shop sells contemporary pieces made on site.

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A story
The glass factory at La Granja was founded in 1727 by Felipe V, who wanted to reduce Spain's dependence on Venetian glass imports. At its peak it produced the mirrors used to decorate the royal palace — including the enormous mirror that gave the Hall of Mirrors effect in the throne room. The factory is still operating nearly three centuries later, making it one of the oldest continuously operating glassworks in the world.