Seven days among makers, markets and open kitchens

Your week among Vienna's legendary makers begins in the leafy, historic courtyard of Neubau. Before the late-June sun reaches its peak, step behind the iron gates of Jarosinski & Vaugoin, where sixth-generation silversmith Jean-Paul Vaugoin warmly greets you at his 1847 family forge. In the warm glow of the workshop hearth, watch silver being hand-hammered using historic wooden mallets, and handle original metal molds that once cast table centerpiece masterpieces for imperial European courts. From the ringing anvil of the silversmith, cross the city into the quiet elegance of the Inner Stadt to enter Rudolf Scheer & Söhne. Here, seventh-generation master shoemaker Markus Scheer personally guides you past workbench shelves lined with century-old stingray leathers and beeswax polishes. Descend beneath the cobblestones into the subterranean vault holding thousands of carved wooden foot-lasts belonging to Habsburg emperors, experiencing an intimate window into unhurried heritage craft.

Before the city awakens on a mid-June morning, step inside the quiet threshold of Werkstätte Carl Auböck in the 7th district. With the workshop closed to all others, Carl IV and Zola Auböck unlock their 1912 atelier just for you. Smell the beeswax and cold patination chemicals as you stand amongst hand-turned brass sculptures, original mid-century polishes, and century-old design sketch archives passed down through five generations of visionary design hands. Following your morning at Auböck, move to the inner city for a pre-opening private audience at Knize & Comp. Behind the darkened cherrywood facade designed by Adolf Loos in 1910, the head cutter greets you in complete morning solitude. Watch an anatomical demonstration of hand-padded canvas suit construction and explore historic fitting rooms where international style icons have stood for over a century.

Spend an afternoon discovering Vienna's most innovative culinary producers. Travel first to Ottakring to meet vinegar pioneer Erwin Gegenbauer at his working vinegar brewery and oil press. Stand among massive oak casks and granite vats as Erwin extracts cold-pressed oils from rare heirloom seeds and pours single-varietal fruit vinegars directly from aging wooden barrels onto your tasting spoon. As evening arrives, cross over to Lingenhel Stadtkäserei, an urban cheese dairy housed in a restored Biedermeier building. Here, where the kitchen door stays open, master cheesemaker Robert Paget invites you side-by-side to curdle fresh local goat milk into delicate artisan cheese. Afterwards, take your place at a private table directly overlooking the glass-walled aging vaults, enjoying an unhurried dinner paired with fine regional wines while watchmakers of food finish their evening craft.

Begin your morning behind closed doors at K.u.K. Hofzuckerbäckerei Demel on the Kohlmarkt. Before the public cafers arrive, step inside the famous glass-walled show-kitchen. Surrounded by copper sugar kettles and marble countertops, watch confectioners crystallize delicate violet petals in hot sugar syrup and observe the meticulous hand-glazing of imperial Sachertortes according to secret 19th-century recipes. In the evening, transition from sweet heritage to rare vintage nectar at Palais Coburg. Executive Sommelier Sven Römisch meets you for a private descent into six 16th-century subterranean vaults built into Vienna's medieval city walls. Wandering past 60,000 historic bottles, settle into an intimate tasting nook inside the cellar for private pourings of mature, rare Austrian vintages.

Spend your fifth morning surrounded by imperial grounds at Porzellanmanufaktur Augarten. Enter the light-filled studio before public hours to meet master ceramic painters. Sip morning champagne from delicate porcelain coupes as you watch artisans cast liquid slip, trim porcelain forms, and paint delicate 24-karat gold leaf and classic 'Wiener Rose' floral motifs with single-hair brushes. In the afternoon, ascend to the private upper-floor workshops of J. & L. Lobmeyr on Kärntner Straße. Guided by a member of the founding Rath family, hear the high-pitched hum of copper engraving wheels and stand inches away from glass carvers etching intricate patterns into wafer-thin muslin glass. Toast your afternoon of imperial craft with champagne served in legendary hand-blown Lobmeyr crystal goblets.

The crescendo of your journey takes you to the sun-drenched slopes of the Nussberg overlooking the Danube. Acclaimed winemaker Fritz Wieninger personally greets you for an exclusive late-afternoon walk through his biodynamic vineyards, where June vine shoots are reaching full vigour. Walk the calcified soils as Fritz explains the heritage of Wiener Gemischter Satz, before descending to his private Stammersdorf barrel cellar for rare single-vineyard tastings taken straight from oak casks. As dusk falls over Vienna, transition to the intimate Wrenkh Wiener Kochsalon in the city center. In an open kitchen environment where barriers disappear, chef-owners Karl and Leo Wrenkh welcome you behind the counters. Stand side-by-side with the brothers to stretch paper-thin apple strudel dough over white linen cloths and prepare modern Austrian terroir dishes, concluding with an unhurried, celebratory open-kitchen dinner.

Conclude your week of immersion among makers with a peaceful morning in the Wienerwald Biosphere Reserve. Guided by a certified forestry expert, walk under the June canopy of ancient beech trees to forage wild mountain herbs, wild ramps, and elderflowers. Learn traditional extraction methods before preparing and tasting freshly brewed wild forest tea surrounded by quiet woodlands. For your final evening, head to the tranquil waters of the Alte Donau. Step aboard a private vintage electric lounge boat outfitted with comfortable retro sofas and a dining table setup. Drift silently across mirror-like waters as the mid-summer sun sets behind the skyline of Vienna, sipping regional wine and reflecting on a week spent in the company of the hands that shape the city.