Alpy, published in 1965 by the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, is a masterwork of mid‑century analytical cartography. Conceived within a comprehensive military atlas, it employs the equidistant Kuzelov projection to balance spatial fidelity with strategic readability across the Alpine arc. Political boundaries are crisply delineated in color, while gradient tints, disciplined hachures, and precisely placed spot heights translate rugged relief into a legible, three‑dimensional narrative. Watercourses and lakes are articulated with hydrological clarity, and the labeling of major passes and summits invites both orientation and interpretation. Descriptive text, diagrams, and tables—hallmarks of the atlas program—underscore an ambition that is as pedagogical as it is tactical. The result captures the Alps as an integrated system of terrain, sovereignty, and movement at the very moment the Cold War sharpened Europe’s cartographic gaze.

The map’s physiography is rendered with uncommon nuance. A continuous crescent of massifs flows from France through Switzerland and Italy into Austria and southern Germany, its structure articulated by tonal gradients that subtly telegraph elevation change. Iconic peaks—Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn, and the Grossglockner among them—stand in luminous counterpoint to plateaus and forelands, while passes such as the Brenner, St. Gotthard, and Simplon are crisply identified as natural gateways. Lakes Geneva, Constance, Como, and Garda mirror the high snowfields and feed an intricately traced network of rivers: the Rhine and Rhône rising among ice and granite, the Po and Adige gathering southward waters, the Inn threading east. These hydrographic and orographic cues cohere into a striking, system‑level portrait of the Alpine engine that powers continental climate, culture, and commerce.

Human geography and circulation are plotted with equal authority. Zurich, Milan, Innsbruck, and Grenoble anchor a constellation of settlements whose hierarchies are legible at a glance, their relationships mediated by roads and railways drawn with military precision. Alpine tunnels and transalpine corridors emerge as strategic arteries, converging along valleys where terrain permits and diverging where granite demands. Administrative divisions interlock with national frontiers, revealing the delicate choreography of governance across multilingual regions. The cartographic palette separates political fact from physical form without sacrificing elegance, while labels and symbology maintain a calm density—rich, but never cluttered. In this synthesis, the Alps are not merely obstacles but infrastructures of connection, their passes and basins shaping patterns of trade, pilgrimage, and modern mobility.

As part of a military atlas extending from antiquity to 1959, Alpy situates geography within a long panorama of strategy. The route over the Col du Mont Cenis evokes Napoleonic logistics; the Brenner corridor hints at twentieth‑century mobilities; and the Dolomite front recalls the vertical warfare of 1915–1918. Fortified lines, supply axes, and pivotal nodes are implied by the terrain’s own logic, which the map makes legible to a staff officer’s eye and a historian’s mind alike. Produced under the auspices of the Czechoslovak Ministry of Defense, it reflects a rigorous doctrine: measure, classify, compare. The equidistant Kuzelov projection aids distance reckoning across latitudes, while accompanying diagrams and tables crystallize complex narratives into referenceable form, articulating how relief channels action, prepares ambush, and governs the probabilities of campaign.

Scholarly ambition underpins the work. Compiled by a consortium of cartographers and historians, the atlas program culminated in two volumes (1965–1966) and a separate 256‑page register indexing roughly 210,000 place‑names—an extraordinary apparatus that respects Alpine toponymy across German, French, and Italian traditions. In Alpy, that erudition becomes a navigable surface: a mesh of peaks, cols, waters, and polities that rewards close reading. For the connoisseur, it is a study in Cold War cartographic style—disciplined, data‑rich, and ideologically lucid—yet it remains deeply humane in its attention to settlement, route, and landscape form. Whether one seeks Zurich’s rail radii, Milan’s Lombard gateways, Innsbruck’s valley geometry, or Grenoble’s mountain hem, this map meets the eye with precision and the mind with inexhaustible depth.

Cities and towns on this map

• Zurich (Switzerland)
• Milan (Italy)
• Innsbruck (Austria)
• Grenoble (France)

Notable Features & Landmarks

• Political boundaries delineated with colored lines.
• Detailed relief representation through gradient tints and hachures.
• Multiple spot heights marked to indicate elevation.
• Water bodies such as lakes and rivers are prominently illustrated.
• Major passes and mountain peaks labeled.
• Transportation networks such as roads and railways depicted.

Historical and design context

• Creation Year: 1965.
• Mapmaker/Publisher: Ceskoslovenska akademie ved (Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences).
• Part of a comprehensive Czechoslovakian military atlas published in the mid-1960s; two volumes released in 1965 and 1966.
• Produced under the Czechoslovakian Ministry of Defense, showcasing the collaboration of numerous cartographers and historians.
• Reflects the ideological context of its time, significant for understanding military cartography.
• Utilizes the equidistant Kuzelov projection for accurate representation.
• Highlights political boundaries and depicts detailed relief using gradient tints, hachures, and spot heights.
• The map features gradient tints to enhance relief visualization and is bound in red covers with gilt titles.
• Descriptive text, diagrams, and tables complement the map’s graphical elements.
  
• Themes include military history, battles, and war strategies from ancient times to 1959.

Please double check the images to make sure that a specific town or place is shown on this map. You can also get in touch and ask us to check the map for you.

This map looks great at every size, but I always recommend going for a larger size if you have space. That way you can easily make out all of the details.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 90in (230cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

Please note: the labels on this map are hard to read if you order a map that is 16in (40cm) or smaller. The map is still very attractive, but if you would like to read the map easily, please buy a larger size.

This map is wider than most maps, which would make it a perfect statement piece above a mantelpiece, sofa or desk.

The fifth listing image shows an example of my map personalisation service.

If you’re looking for something slightly different, check out my collection of the best old maps to see if something else catches your eye.

Please contact me to check if a certain location, landmark or feature is shown on this map.

This would make a wonderful birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, work leaving, anniversary or housewarming gift for someone from the areas covered by this map.

This map is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. The frame is a nice, simple black frame that suits most aesthetics. Please get in touch if you'd like a different frame colour or material. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.

For most orders, delivery time is about 3 working days. Personalised and customised products take longer, as I have to do the personalisation and send it to you for approval, which usually takes 1 or 2 days.

Please note that very large framed orders usually take longer to make and deliver. 

If you need your order to arrive by a certain date, please contact me before you order so that we can find the best way of making sure you get your order in time.

I print and frame maps and artwork in 23 countries around the world. This means your order will be made locally, which cuts down on delivery time and ensures that it won't be damaged during delivery. You'll never pay customs or import duty, and we'll put less CO2 into the air.

All of my maps and art prints are well packaged and sent in a rugged tube if unframed, or surrounded by foam if framed.

I try to send out all orders within 1 or 2 days of receiving your order, though some products (like face masks, mugs and tote bags) can take longer to make.

If you select Express Delivery at checkout your order we will prioritise your order and send it out by 1-day courier (Fedex, DHL, UPS, Parcelforce).

Next Day delivery is also available in some countries (US, UK, Singapore, UAE) but please try to order early in the day so that we can get it sent out on time.

Read my full delivery and local production guide

My standard frame is a gallery style black ash hardwood frame. It is simple and quite modern looking. My standard frame is around 20mm (0.8in) wide.

I use super-clear acrylic (perspex/acrylite) for the frame glass. It's lighter and safer than glass - and it looks better, as the reflectivity is lower.

Six standard frame colours are available for free (black, dark brown, dark grey, oak, white and antique gold). Custom framing and mounting/matting is available if you're looking for something else.

Most maps, art and illustrations are also available as a framed canvas. We use matte (not shiny) cotton canvas, stretch it over a sustainably sourced box wood frame, and then 'float' the piece within a wood frame. The end result is quite beautiful, and there's no glazing to get in the way.

All frames are provided "ready to hang", with either a string or brackets on the back. Very large frames will have heavy duty hanging plates and/or a mounting baton. If you have any questions, please get in touch.

See some examples of my framed maps and framed canvas maps.

Alternatively, I can also supply old maps and artwork on canvas, foam board, cotton rag and other materials.

If you want to frame your map or artwork yourself, please read my size guide first.

My maps are extremely high quality reproductions of original maps.

I source original, rare maps from libraries, auction houses and private collections around the world, restore them at my London workshop, and then use specialist giclée inks and printers to create beautiful maps that look even better than the original.

My maps are printed on acid-free archival matte (not glossy) paper that feels very high quality and almost like card. In technical terms the paper weight/thickness is 10mil/200gsm. It's perfect for framing.

I print with Epson ultrachrome giclée UV fade resistant pigment inks - some of the best inks you can find.

I can also make maps on canvas, cotton rag and other exotic materials.

Learn more about The Unique Maps Co.

Map personalisation

If you're looking for the perfect anniversary or housewarming gift, I can personalise your map to make it truly unique. For example, I can add a short message, or highlight an important location, or add your family's coat of arms.

The options are almost infinite. Please see my map personalisation page for some wonderful examples of what's possible.

To order a personalised map, select "personalise your map" before adding it to your basket.

Get in touch if you're looking for more complex customisations and personalisations.

Map ageing

I have been asked hundreds of times over the years by customers if they could buy a map that looks even older.

Well, now you can, by selecting Aged before you add a map to your basket.

All the product photos you see on this page show the map in its Original form. This is what the map looks like today.

If you select Aged, I will age your map by hand, using a special and unique process developed through years of studying old maps, talking to researchers to understand the chemistry of aging paper, and of course... lots of practice!

If you're unsure, stick to the Original colour of the map. If you want something a bit darker and older looking, go for Aged.

See some amazing examples of Aged maps.

If you are not happy with your order for any reason, contact me and I'll get it fixed ASAP, free of charge. Please see my returns and refund policy for more information.

I am very confident you will like your restored map or art print. I have been doing this since 1984. I'm a 5-star Etsy seller. I have sold tens of thousands of maps and art prints and have over 5,000 real 5-star reviews. My work has been featured in interior design magazines, on the BBC, and on the walls of dozens of 5-star hotels.

I use a unique process to restore maps and artwork that is massively time consuming and labour intensive. Hunting down the original maps and illustrations can take months. I use state of the art and eye-wateringly expensive technology to scan and restore them. As a result, I guarantee my maps and art prints are a cut above the rest. I stand by my products and will always make sure you're 100% happy with what you receive.

Almost all of my maps and art prints look amazing at large sizes (200cm, 6.5ft+) and I can frame and deliver them to you as well, via special oversized courier. Contact me to discuss your specific needs.