What is Blocks Switzerland?
Blocks is a Minecraft world of the whole of Switzerland at 1:1 scale, where every block is one metre. The terrain, glaciers, lakes, forests and dams come from the open geodata of swisstopo, the Swiss Federal Office of Topography, so the Matterhorn is exactly as tall and as steep as the real one and the climb to the Dufourspitze is 4,634 blocks.
It is a project by Manifold, a Swiss studio that turns the same geodata into 3D printed mountain models. The world runs on Minecraft Java Edition 1.12.2 with the Cubic Chunks mod, which lifts the normal height limit so the Alps fit. The UNESCO area around Eiger, Moench, Jungfrau and the Aletsch Glacier is a free download, and the full 41,285 square kilometre country is a paid early access download.
Main Features
- Switzerland at 1:1 scale, one block per metre, from swisstopo elevation and landscape data
- Free Jungfrau-Aletsch area of about 2,400 square kilometres, a 1.1 GB download with no sign-up
- Full country download of 24 GB, with the mod, texture pack and Manifold shaders included
- A map on the website that gives you the teleport command for any spot you click
- Ready-made teleports to viewpoints such as Konkordiaplatz and the Eiger north face
- Fast flying up to about 1 km per second, a distant view and adjustable haze
- Every later version included with your licence key
How to Get Started with Blocks Switzerland
- Make sure you own Minecraft Java Edition on Windows, macOS or Linux, and have 16 GB of memory.
- Install the free Prism Launcher and sign in with your Microsoft account.
- Download the free Jungfrau-Aletsch ZIP from blocks.manifold3d.ch and import it in Prism with Add Instance, then Import.
- Create a new world with the world type generator.schweiz, then paste a teleport command from the website map to jump to a viewpoint.
Blocks Switzerland Pricing
The Jungfrau-Aletsch area is free to download from anywhere, without sign-up. The whole of Switzerland costs 15 CHF, or more if you choose to pay extra (48 CHF puts your name in the site's summit register), and includes every later update. For legal reasons the full country is sold only to people who live in Switzerland, there are no refunds, and you need your own copy of Minecraft Java Edition.
Who Should Use It?
- Minecraft players who want to hike, fly or build in real Swiss mountains
- Swiss residents curious to find their own town or house in blocks
- Geography and map fans who like exploring real terrain in 3D
- Teachers looking for a playful way to show the Alps and glaciers at real scale
Blocks Switzerland Alternatives
- Seedmap: a free Minecraft seed map that shows biomes, terrain and structure coordinates.
- The True Size Of: drag countries around a world map to see their real size.
- WorldGuessr: a free game that drops you somewhere on Earth in Street View to guess where you are.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Blocks Switzerland free?
Partly. The Jungfrau-Aletsch area, with Eiger, Moench, Jungfrau and the Aletsch Glacier, is a free download for anyone. The whole of Switzerland costs 15 CHF and is sold only to people who live in Switzerland. You also need Minecraft Java Edition.
Does Blocks Switzerland work on Bedrock, consoles or phones?
No. It runs only on Minecraft Java Edition for Windows, macOS and Linux, because it needs the Cubic Chunks mod, which only exists for Java.
What computer do I need?
A powerful one with 16 GB of memory, since the game builds the blocks as you explore. The free area needs about 2 GB of disk space and the whole country about 60 GB. Try the free area first: it uses the same setup as the full world.