[Rick Lee]

Woerthersee and Graz are well east and south of Linz, but worth the very scenic drive. The highway from Salzburg to Klagenfurt (you'll be taking to go to Gmuend anyway) is just gorgeous. There are several awesome castles within sight of the hwy. Hohenwerfen is one and it's the namesake (in German) for the tv series, Man in the High Castle. Can't remember if it's that one or another nearby where they filmed Where Eagles Dare. But that whole road is great. Can't remember the toll for the Tauern Tunnel, but I think it was 13 Euros last time I drove it two years ago.

If you go to Woerthersee, the towns around there are great - Klagenfurt and Villach. Can't remember what's on the south side of the lake, but it's very scenic. Just north of Klagenfurt there are some cool sites too - Burg Hochosterwitz is viewable from most of St. Veit, which, itself, is my favorite town in the world. The Gurk Cathedral (Dom zu Gurk) is nearby and is awesome if you're into the holy relics stuff of the first millennium. Graz is definitely worth a trip. If you can't do Vienna, then do Graz.

The western part of the country has some cool towns too, but I've only seen most from a train window. If you haven't driven in Austria in a while, their speed limits are strict and police ubiquitous. You also need a highway decal on your rental car, which you can buy everywhere near the border.

I'm going again in Sept. and this thread is getting me excited already. Been about 20x and can't get enough of that country. Be sure to buy a jar of Kaerntner Bienenhonig. No better honey in the world. And drink Hirter beer wherever you see it. Skip Goesser.