Explore the Swiss Alps with a Cicerone guidebook

• Location
• Description
• Contents
• Introduction
• Maps
• Further Reading

Swiss cartography is world class, with national survey maps published by the Federal Office of Topography (www.swisstopo.ch) covering the whole country with sheets of several different scales: 1:25,000, 1:50,000, 1:100,000 and 1:200,000.

The 1:50,000 series, which is perfectly adequate for the majority of walkers, mountaineers and ski tourers, includes a set of maps with major walking routes marked. These Wanderkarten are distinguished by the letter T given after the individual sheet number, while sheets marked with ski touring routes (Skitourenkarten) are distinguished by the letter S. National survey maps detailed at the end of each chapter in this book are listed with the prefix LS (Landeskarten der Schweiz).

The complete 1:25,000 series (more than 230 separate sheets) is also available on eight CD-ROM discs under the heading Swiss Map 25.

Independent publisher Ku?mmerly & Frey (www.swisstravelcenter.ch) also produces a series of maps for walkers at a scale of 1:60,000. As with LS maps, these Wanderkarten have major walking routes and mountain huts prominently marked, and the clearly defined contours and artistic use of shading produce an instant representation of ridge, spur and valley. Again, details of relevant sheets are given at the end of each chapter.

Ku?mmerly & Frey also has a limited series of 1:120,000 sheets which provide a useful overview of regions such as Graubu?nden, Valais (Wallis) and the Bernese Oberland, and a separate sheet (Wanderland) at 1:301,000 showing all the main long-distance walking routes in Switzerland, with a comprehensive index on the reverse.