[Note: I was not paid to endorse any of these shops. There are from all my own findings.]
Since we’re not traveling right now (2020 Covid 19), I’m working to expand my collection of maps and travel art from around the world. I am still missing six cities. Around 2009, when our family moved into a larger house with more walls to fill, I began collecting maps of places we had lived. It began with canvas maps of Stockholm and then Austin, and slowly I started adding to it. I also decided to start including places we visited, too.
While it’s my preference to buy things on location, I can’t always find just the right map of the city. It then becomes a hunt online (usually on etsy) to find to right piece of art for my living room walls.
With the hunt, either online or in real life, I find all kinds of delightful artists and shops. So I wanted to share some of my favorites with you. Let me know if you find any really cool ones, too.
Even with all this research, I am still trying to locate the right map to go with my wall collage. Here are the maps still to locate:
- Madrid
- Reykjavik, Iceland
- Berlin
- Split, Croatia
- Rome
- Athens
Related: Where to Travel with Teens: Our Favorite Picks from 2019
Discover the World: Favorite Online Shops for Maps & Travel Art
Antoine Corbineau. I discovered this online shop several years ago when I bought my Paris map. Finding maps of Paris is super easy, but I wanted something colorful and unique. I love that I can see where we stayed in the city and track some of the top tourist sights with his illustrations. He has maps of New York, Barcelona, London, Italy Wine, Italy Food, and Paris by night (to be very specific).
Vianina. I stumbled across the Vianina booth at the Schonbrunn Palace Christmas Market in Vienna. Immediately loving her style, I purchased a map of Vienna. After coming home, I discovered her online shop has maps of Munich, Hamburg, New York, Rome, Budapest, Prague, Berlin, Amsterdam, and London. She has moved into additional merchandise and made her maps into puzzles, a calendar and tote bags.
Jazzberry Blue. This shop where it started it all with my maps from Austin and Stockholm. I believe I first saw the canvas maps on a flash sale. I bought the first map and then went back for more. This store has so many maps all with kind of a retro feel to them and variations.
Helena Carrington. She doesn’t have maps, but I wish she did. I bought a print of Copenhagen after our trip there in 2013. She has a ton of city prints from all over, but I am considering the Reykjavik print as my next purchase.
Urban Sidewalker. During my very brief trip to Budapest, this designer’s black and white drawings were all over the Christmas markets. Their etsy shop has a very more colorful maps, including one from Berlin, which I am now considering.
Walk with Me. This studio is mainly focused on Spain and the UK. I found them back in 2015 when looking for a map from our trip to Madrid.
4PlusArtStudio. I love the colorful modern maps from this studio. With so many cities still to see in Europe, I’m holding onto these favorites for (hopefully) upcoming trips to Prague and Helsinki.
Related: Want to Raise Expert Travelers? Don’t Pack Your Kids’ Suitcases
Fun Shops Around the World
Red Door Gallery (Edinburgh, Scotland). This adorable shop sits on Victoria Street (rumored to be the inspiration for J.K. Rowling’s Diagon Alley). While we wandered up this street to poke our heads into the magic- and Harry Potter-themed shops next door, I was inspired by this little art shop. Without much hesitation, I purchased my Edinburgh print. The good news is you can shop online with prints such as “50 Shades of Scotland” or “Wildlife of Scotland.”
Thiki. (Athens, Greece) The Thiki shop is tucked away in Athen’s Plaka neighborhood. It’s still so small that the designer works the counter personally. My favorites from the shop are the Greek Colors Collection. I’m a huge Pantone color fan and these just made me smile.
Greek Aether (Napflio, Greece) We had limited time in Napflio so I wish I could have explored more. We found this adorable shop with, yes, a few maps and other non-traditional (more modern) design products. I particularity liked the items from Lila Ruby King that were in here. Her shop is also online.
La Nostra Cuitat (Barcelona, Spain) The kids and I found this shop while wandering through the Gothic quarter of Barcelona. Cuitat has tons of handmade products and prints, we were able to easily find a map to add to our collection. (Looks like they have an online option as well. )
CRO Corner (Split, Croatia) It was harder to find a shop in Split that was not overly kitschy with touristy stuff. This shop had quite a few prints made by local artists. My biggest regret was not buying a print that I saw there.
Edinburgh photo by Jonathan Ricci on Unsplash
