Alta Blog

Lyon in relief: the secret topography of a city between two rivers

Lyon is often described as a city nestled between the Rhône and the Saône. But this description barely scratches the surface of its actual relief. Seen through its topography, Lyon is a city of str...

How is an Alta illustration made? From summit to wall, in ink strokes

You may have seen an Alta illustration hanging at a friend's place, or noticed these distinctive relief tracings on social media. But do you know how they are made? From the digital terrain model t...

These lines that draw the relief: from Joy Division's cover to your walls

How a 1979 album cover inspired a new form of cartographic art. The story of ridgeline plots and the birth of Alta.