You want to keep at home the mountain of a trip, a climb or a childhood. Two objects keep coming up in searches: the relief map, hung on the wall, and the 3D relief lamp, set on a bedside table. We make both in Thônes, Haute-Savoie: here is what really sets them apart.
The wooden topographic map: a whole massif, flat
Our wooden topographic maps engrave the contour lines of a massif into a birch panel. The relief does not rise from the panel: it is read, as on a hiking map, from how tightly the lines gather. It is the object of large territories: a whole massif, its valleys, glaciers and passes, with the names of the summits.
It is looked at up close, talked about, "walked" with a finger: it is the map of the route you did, or of the one you are planning.
The 3D relief lamp: one summit, in volume
Our mountain lamps reproduce the real relief of a summit in volume, from official topographic data — IGN LiDAR HD in France, swisstopo in Switzerland. The relief is printed in high-definition PLA and set on a hand-turned pear-wood base. Once lit, the light passes through the material: ridges glow, hollows stay in shadow, and the mountain reads without any legend.
It is the object of one precise place: the pyramid of the Matterhorn, the dome of Mont Blanc, the outline of a summit from your holidays.
Map or lamp: the comparison
| Criterion | Wooden topographic map | 3D relief lamp |
|---|---|---|
| What you see | A whole massif, read through contour lines | A summit and its surroundings, in real volume |
| Where it goes | On the wall: living room, hallway, study | On a bedside table, a shelf, a desk |
| The light | The room's | Its own: dimmable LED, from night light to mood lamp |
| What it tells | The route, the territory, the names | The silhouette, the emotion of the summit |
| Personalisation | Name of the massif, summit climbed, coordinates | Any summit, with the online lamp creator |
What about other relief maps?
There are also relief maps in thermoformed plastic, very readable for planning an outing, and models made of stacked wooden layers, where each sheet is one altitude. The former are reading tools, the latter decorative stepped objects. Our approach is different: an engraved map for the territory, and a continuous relief, with no steps, for the lamp — we explain why in how a mountain lamp is made.
How to choose?
- You think "massif", "route", "tour": the map, which shows the whole territory.
- You think "that very summit": the lamp, which gives its exact shape.
- For a bedroom: the lamp, which doubles as a night light.
- For a large wall: the map.
Many of our customers end up pairing both for the same massif: the map in the living room, the lamp in the bedroom. To find the right summit, read our guide to choosing your massif.
Frequently asked questions
What is a relief map?
A map that makes the shape of the land visible: either in volume (thermoformed plastic, scale model, 3D printing) or flat through contour lines, like our topographic maps engraved in birch.
Is a 3D relief lamp true to the real terrain?
Yes. Our lamps are modelled from official topographic data — IGN LiDAR HD in France, swisstopo in Switzerland: every ridge and hollow is in its real place, to scale.
Can I have the map and the lamp of the same massif?
Yes, it is even a common pairing: the map on the wall for the territory, the lamp on a bedside table for the summit. Write to us to coordinate both.