Swisstopo maps, offline on your iPhone
Swiss national maps are widely considered the most beautiful topographic cartography in the world — and since swisstopo opened its data in 2021, the raster maps (including the legendary 1:25,000 series) are free to download for personal use. Georeferenced in NomadTracks, the sheet you'd buy on paper becomes a live offline map with your position on it.
Where to get the maps
Swisstopo's map.geo.admin.ch portal and the open-data downloads provide the national map series digitally; printed sheets remain available from the shop. For NomadTracks, GeoTIFF downloads import with automatic alignment; a photographed or scanned paper sheet can be georeferenced manually with a few control points.
The 1:25,000 difference
Swiss 1:25,000 sheets resolve cliff bands, glacier features and every alp building with a precision no generic tile layer matches. For alpine route-finding — especially off the marked network — that's not aesthetics, it's safety margin.
Offline by design
Swiss mountain valleys still hold plenty of dead zones. Maps stored in NomadTracks work with the radio off — and the recorded track on the swisstopo sheet is the cleanest tour documentation there is.
NomadTracks is not affiliated with or endorsed by any mapping agency. Always check the agency's current licence terms for your intended use; the notes here are a good-faith summary as of June 2026.
FAQ
Are swisstopo maps free now?
Since 2021 swisstopo's geodata, including the national raster maps, are open government data — free for most uses. Check swisstopo's terms for commercial scenarios.
Which format should I download for NomadTracks?
GeoTIFF imports with automatic georeferencing. Plain raster images or photographed paper sheets work too via manual control points.
Does this replace the paper map in the Alps?
Carry both — paper never runs out of battery. NomadTracks adds the live position and the recorded track to cartography you already trust.