Switzerland. Block by block. At 1:1 scale
Switzerland: A Block-by-Block Digital Twin
Experience the entirety of Switzerland recreated at a staggering 1:1 scale within Minecraft Java 1.12.2. By leveraging Cubic Chunks and open geodata from swisstopo, this project transforms a nation into a voxel masterpiece.
🏔️ Project Specifications
The scale of this undertaking is immense. Every detail, from the deepest lakes to the highest peaks, is derived from official topographic data.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total Land Area | |
| Scale Ratio | |
| Max Elevation | 4,634 blocks (Dufourspitze) |
| Total File Size | 24 GB (Full Version) |
Note: This project has been featured in 20 Minuten. All geodata is provided by © swisstopo.
🖼️ Visuals and Landmarks
Using the Manifold-Shader, the world comes alive. The project captures the raw beauty of the Alps and the precision of Swiss engineering. Key locations include:
- Glaciers & Peaks:
- The Great Aletsch Glacier (viewed from Eggishorn)
- The Konkordiaplatz (Aletsch Glacier, 2,700 m)
- The Eiger North Face (3,967 m)
- Lakes & Valleys:
- Oeschinensee in Kandersteg (1,578 m)
- The Lauterbrunnen Valley in the Bernese Oberland
- Lake Walen and the Churfirsten range
- Engineering:
- Grande Dixence in Val d’Hérémence (2,365 m)
For more visual evidence, visit Instagram: @manifold.blocks
🗺️ Interactive Exploration Tool
The project includes a web-based map that allows users to preview the world from a bird's-eye view, spanning from Lake Geneva to Val Müstair.
Map Features:
- Comparison Slider: Toggle between the Minecraft voxel view and the actual swisstopo aerial imagery.
- Direct Integration: Aerial photos load directly from swisstopo servers upon sliding.
- Navigation: Quick access to teleport commands for specific coordinates.
- Context: Displays national borders, cantons, and place names.
📥 Download Options
1. The Free Sample: Jungfrau-Aletsch
Explore the UNESCO World Natural Heritage site for free. This includes the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau, along with the Alps' largest glacier.
- Coverage:
- Size: 1.1 GB (ZIP for Prism)
- Requirements:
Registration(No login required)
2. The Complete Switzerland
The full experience from Chiasso to Schaffhausen. This package includes the world file, necessary mods, texture packs, and shaders.
Pricing Tiers (for Swiss Residents):
| Tier | Price | Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Silver | 5 CHF | Full access to the Minecraft Switzerland map. |
| License | 15 CHF | Full access + funding for future updates (e.g., better cliffs/water). |
| Peak (Gipfel) | 48 CHF | 1 CHF for every 4k peak; your name enters the website's guestbook. |
| Custom | 15+ CHF | You decide the value of the project. |
Payment is handled via Stripe (TWINT, Card, Apple Pay, Google Pay). License keys are delivered instantly via email.
💻 Technical Requirements & Nuances
Warning: This world is lightweight computationally demanding.
Because the world is generated dynamically as you explore (blocks are built from the package in real-time), you need a powerful machine.
Recommended Hardware:
Minimum RAM: 16 GB
Tested Configurations:
- Windows PC: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, NVIDIA RTX 4070, 32 GB RAM
- MacBook Pro: Apple M1 Max, 64 GB RAM
⚠️ Important Limitations
- Border Zones: The map fills a rectangular area around Switzerland. In border regions, the resolution drops from swisstopo's precision to the Copernicus elevation model (one point every 30m), resulting in coarser terrain.
- International Areas: Outside the borders, the world may be flat or patchy. In areas lacking building data (e.g., near Geneva), trees may appear where houses should be.
- Detail Variance: The level of detail is dependent on the available open data for that specific region.
- Simplification: Since the world is programmatically generated from data rather than hand-built, buildings are simplified, and some roads or bridges may be approximated.
Pro Tip: Try the Jungfrau-Aletsch demo first to ensure your hardware can handle the setup before purchasing the full version!