Time travel
Take a journey through time with swisstopo’s historical maps and aerial photographs. Pupils will learn about the Switzerland of past and present.
If you’re taking your class on a journey through time, don’t forget to pack swisstopo’s historical and aerial photographs in your suitcase. As a teacher, this unique piece of cultural heritage is a precious teaching resource at your fingertips, suitable for a variety of teaching subjects, from history to geography.
180 years of transforming landscape
The first map dates back to the year 1844. Pupils immerse themselves in the 180-year history of Swiss maps and familiarise themselves with works such as the historical Dufour and Siegfried maps. Today, swisstopo provides access to approximately 8,000 pages of historical maps. The collection has been carefully restored and digitised. On the virtual journey through time, you will notice how spaces have changed over the course of time and will be able to draw comparisons between different time periods.
To the journey through time - maps
Switzerland from the air
swisstopo’s aerial photographs make a valuable addition. The collection consists of snapshots of the landscape since the 1920s. You can also view an interconnected mosaic of snapshots dating from 1926 through to the present day. The aerial photographs from 1946 are another point of interest as they were taken during the «US flight mission» in record time over the course of a few months. These images are also available as a mosaic.
Learn about the Switzerland of today and of old together with your pupils!
To the Journey through time – aerial images
You can also go time travelling using the free swisstopo app.
Seftigenstrasse 264
3084 Wabern