Time Travel Maps

If I were President of the World every major city would be required to create a 3D city map documenting the city for every year of its history. Unfortunately I am not yet the global overlord so my dreams of virtual time-travel go largely unfulfilled.

But in Zurich, I can get close.

Zurich Time Travel is an impressive 3D interactive map that reconstructs the city’s architectural evolution from 1850 to the present. Built using open city data and historical maps it lets you scroll through time, and observe how the city's medieval alleys have given way to grand boulevards and modern skyscrapers.

Using the map's timeline you can witness the growth of Zurich, from a compact, walled city hugging the Limmat River to the modern sprawling metropolis it is today.

You can explore even further back in time on the Zurich 4D interactive map. This map includes digital 3D models of the city in 3000 BC, in the year 200, in 1500 and in 1800 - providing a fascinating insight into how the city of Zurich has developed over time.

If you closely explore the ancient 3000 BC model of Zurich you might be able to spot a few Neolithic stilt houses nestled among the trees. The 3D model of the city in 1800 shows a city which is still largely confined within its medieval city walls. Skip forward to view the 3D model of the modern city and it is now hard to even discern the location of the historic city walls amongst the modern sprawl of Zurich. 

In the USA, the Welikia Project lets you travel back in time to explore New York’s natural landscape before the arrival of Dutch settlers. This interactive map reconstructs Manhattan Island as it existed pre-1600, revealing its original ecosystems - rolling hills, dense forests, sprawling wetlands, salt marshes, and a network of streams and ponds.

To create this digital time capsule, researchers combined early historical maps, soil surveys, and tree-ring analysis with firsthand accounts from colonial-era records. These sources helped piece together an accurate portrait of the island’s lost wilderness - long before skyscrapers and paved streets transformed the city forever.