We would like to spend a day in the mountains in late December and will be traveling from Linz. We prefer somewhere within an hour or so by train and are looking for beautiful scenery that we can enjoy for the day.

Halstatt is the epitome of the rugged Austrian Alps etched in your minds' eyes - it may be a bit farther than an hour from Linz but not too much I think (change at Attnang-Puchheim for trains to Halstatt, to me the prettiest part of the Austrian Alps that I have seen.

It's almost 3 hours each way so too long for a day trip but thank you - I have always wanted to visit Hallstatt.

Get a car and drive southbound on the A9 (pay toll). Styria is where you want to go.

Thanks but we won't be driving in the dead of winter as we live in FL and are not used to snow nor mountain roads.

Is Bad Wimsbach Styriasiedl where you are referring to? It is close by train and would be an option.

The Autobahn is always perfectly o.k., always, if you just don't drive in a blizzard, which is rare. But no you drive direction Liezen/Graz and just stop at a place you'd find scenic. There are quite a few. Driving is easy and you'll be in the valley.

Styria is a state , "people" there speak like Arnie Schwarzenegger, the Styrian oak

This might be of some assistance:

http://www.weather-forecast.com/locations/Linz/other

Thanks, bettyk, and I found that site while searching earlier.

logos, thank you but we are not renting a car and will use public transport so will be focusing on places easily accessible by bus and train.

Going north from Linz toward the Czech border is not the best direction to find good mountains and scenery.

Traveling south and a little west for about one hour by train brings you to the Hinterstoeder -Wurzeralm areas.
By Hinterstoeder you weill find nice mountains including a lift system to take you up to higher altitudes - about 18-1900 meters.
you can check here - the site includes some current webcam views. Of course no snow yet , but you can get an idea of the scene to see if this is good for you