Salzburg

Austrian artisans have been proud of their craft and design skills for centuries. And in Salzburg you will find home accessories in the best materials at shops such as Lobmeyr (20 Schwarzstrasse, tel: 43 662 873 181; www.lobmeyr.at). For more than 180 years it has been supplying crystal and glassware, table linen and china to the rich and the aristocratic. Today's patrons include the Sultan of Brunei, Britain's Queen Elizabeth and the Imperial Court of Vienna. Lobmeyr chandeliers are particularly sought after - the Metropolitan Opera in New York for example has one (above right). Prices are available on application.

Augarten (11 Alter Markt, tel: 43 662 840 714; www.augarten.at) is another historic shop where craftsmanship rules. Its dinner sets are the kind of weighty china collections intended to be passed down to future generations but the designs are far from stuffy. Something like the five-piece white dinner set featuring creatures from mythology (Euro4,326/HK$43,000) will get guests talking. Huge fluted cups (below; from Euro143) with matching saucers come in a variety of colours or just chic black and white.

Alps and Arts (2 Pfeifergasse, tel: 43 662 377 5085; www.alpsandarts.com) is upholding the tradition of natural, timeless linen. Here, a floral table cloth (Euro100) is comfortingly thick - nothing like the mass-produced versions. It also sells napkins (Euro20) in snow-white woven cotton with traditional geometric patterns for an antique touch.

Then there's Roittner Cook and Table (1 Europastrasse, tel: 43 662 442 021; www.roittner.at), in the Europark shopping centre. You could kit out your kitchen from scratch here. Start with a huge Stiegl beer glass (Euro3) so thick and chunky it will withstand the heartiest of nights.