Sophienalpe, Mountain pasture in Vienna's 14th district, Austria

Sophienalpe is a mountain pasture at 477 m above sea level in Vienna's 14th district, on a ridge of the Wienerwald. Open meadows lie between wooded slopes, and the Franz-Karl-Fernsicht viewpoint at 488 m stands to the south. A restaurant-hotel occupies the northern part.

The name Sophienalpe honours Archduchess Sophie, mother of Emperor Franz Joseph I, who often spent summers here; the viewpoint at its southern edge is named after her husband, Archduke Franz Karl. In 1872 the Viennese industrialist Georg Sigl built a funicular from the Halterbach valley up to the pasture, 682 m long and climbing 108 m, run largely by counterweight. Its open four-seat cars were coupled to red-lacquered iron balls on the haul rope, hence the nickname "Knöpferlbahn". It was dismantled in 1881; its track is now a walking path between the Rieglerhütte and the Sophienalpe.

The name honours Archduchess Sophie of Bavaria, mother of Emperor Franz Joseph I, who often spent her summers here; the viewpoint to the south is named after her husband, Archduke Franz Karl. A restaurant-hotel in the northern part of the pasture carries the same name as the meadow.

Access is easiest via public transport to the Kasgraben or Klosterneuburg area. Good footwear and weather-resistant clothing are important since the terrain is hilly and weather can change quickly.

In winter, the Hohe-Wand-Wiese serves as a ski learning center with practice slopes for beginners. In summer, the same area is used for a toboggan run, giving the place two completely different characters.