Fresh & contemporary design from Austria

With clean lines, unusual shapes, and striking color combinations, Austrian-designed objects warrant a second glance - and then a third.

Pieces like the "Liquid Skin" drinking bowl by Austrian design-duo LUCY.D, Barbara Ambrosz and Karin Stiglmair, encourage viewers to reconsider their surroundings. With a shape that's meant to mold itself to your palms, the bowl allows you to mimic the gesture of drinking from a fountain with your bare hands.

Every year nearly 20,000 visitors flock to Vienna Design Week to enjoy similarly conceptual pieces, as local and international designers and almost 100 partners come together for dozens of imaginative exhibitions and exciting events. The third annual Design Week (October 1 - 11) promisis to to fill the city with more examples of cutting-edge design than ever.

After the event wraps up, there's still plenty of stunning design to enjoy in Vienna. The Wiener Werkstätte - founded by Josef Hoffmann und Koloman Moser in 1903 - was formed to encourage design that embodies elegance, precision, and functionality. Through the efforts of the Neue Wiener Werkstätte, the founder's ideals are still being promoted in modern-day Austria. Pay a visit to their Vienna showroom for an unparalleled display of both classic and modern furniture. Even if you don't want to ship a sofa home, you can still pick up beautifullly designed souvenirs.

The MAK Design Shop at the Museum of Applied Arts commissions thought-provoking objects from local artists, such as a bold chandelier with pendants cut like oversize gemstones, two-handled mugs, or sleek, contemporary egg cups. During its three-day Blickfang, or "eye-catcher", the entire museum is transformed into a high-design department store. You should also visit the MQ Shop at the MuseumsQuartier for one-of-a-kind objects and unforgettable gifts, and for planet- and wallet-friendly presents, check out the green goods at the KunstHausWien Museum Shop.
 
Another way to bring Vienna home: Look for businesses that are part of th WIEN PRODUCTS group.

Despite its abundance in Vienna, Austria's delightful design doesn't start and end in the city. At Swarovki Crystal Worlds near Innsbruck, you can surround yourself with sparkle and shine. The company may be best known in the United States for its classically cut pieces, but thanks to several artist collaborations, today it's turning more unexpected, modern wares. And in Wattens, Tirol, Swarovski Crystal Worlds is a glittering wonderland of creative designs and compositions that explore the possibilities of crystal in all its different forms.

Just beyond Innsbruck you'll find another spectacular design experience. Riedel stemware - a quintessential example of the perfect balance of form and function - has been favored by wine connoisseurs for decades. In the town of Kufstein, you can watch the company's glassblowers handcraft the company's signature balloon-shaped wineglasses - and pick up a few to take home.