Switzerland: Swiss Survey 50K-33K Hiking Editions of Topographic Maps

Special hiking editions of the topographic survey of Switzerland at 1:50k, published by Swisstopo in cooperation with the Swiss Hiking Federation. Cartography is the same as in the country's standard 50K topographic survey but with additional tourist overprint, as below, and presented in three formats:

Small Format Sheets (Nos. 213T to 469T): Each map covers an area of 35 x 24 km / 21 x 15 miles approx). More recent editions have on reverse additional tourist information; text includes English. The new hiking map contains Switzerland's entire network of hiking trails printed on waterproof, tear-resistant paper. All information is clearly arranged on one page. Maximum ease of use thanks to the new, slim map format (folded 11 x 22 cm)

SPECIAL LARGER SHEETS (Nos. from 5001T onwards): published for popular hiking regions, each map covers 50 x 35 km / 31 x 22 miles approx.

1:33,333 WATERPROOF and TEAR-RESISTANT ENLARGEMENTS (Nos. from 3301T onwards): new format, first published in summer 2013. The maps are on more handy size sheets and printed double-sided, covering an area of 32 x 18 km / 20 x 11 miles approx. Cartography is the same as on the 50K maps, simply enlarged to 1:33,333 for extra clarity but without additional information. Each title includes details of three recommended hiking trails.

Highly regarded for its superb use of graphic relief and hill shading to provide an almost 3-D picture of the country's mountainous terrain, Swiss topographic survey at 1:50k has contours at 20m intervals.

In these hiking versions an overprint highlights routes maintained by the SHF, distinguishing between hiking routes, mountain routes requiring proper footwear, and alpine routes where equipment is needed. Paths which are part of the national or regional network of long-distance hiking routes are specially marked and in the more recent editions are annotated with their official numbers. The trail categories 'hiking trail', 'mountain hiking trail' and 'alpine hiking trail' are immediately recognizable by the symbol colours yellow, red and blue. Hard-surfaced and unsurfaced trails are also easy to identify.

The new hiking maps make route planning easy with useful additional information such as public transport stops, points of interest, observation towers, secluded inns or car parks. SwitzerlandMobility's hiking routes are also marked. Each map also contains five attractive hiking suggestions by the Swiss Hiking Federation.

The maps show mountain huts, refuges and in remote areas also inns, plus roads with bus service and the positions of bus stops. All the maps have a 1km grid of the Swiss national coordinates; small format sheets also have latitude and longitude margin ticks at 1' intervals.