TechnicalGIS

LiDAR and elevation data for Switzerland

National open LiDAR Openly licensed LiDAR covers about 70% or more of the land area.

swisstopo provides national open elevation data under the opendata.swiss terms of use (free, commercial use allowed). swissSURFACE3D is a classified LiDAR point cloud covering all of Switzerland since 2024, and swissALTI3D is a 0.5 m DTM updated on a 6-year cycle. Cantons such as Aargau, Bern and Solothurn also publish their own denser LiDAR surveys.

Best open resolution
0.5 m
Open LiDAR coverage
100%
Datasets
6 · 6 open · 6 free
Region
Europe
Last reviewed

By state, province or region

LiDAR status by subnational area in Switzerland
Area Status Summary Datasets
Aargau National open LiDAR Complete leaf-off canton LiDAR from 2019 (30.8 points/m²) and 2024, with point data and DTM published openly. LiDAR-Punktdaten 2024 and LiDAR DTM 2024
Solothurn National open LiDAR Cantonal LiDAR point clouds from 2014 (4 points/m²) and 2019 (16 points/m²) are open on data.geo.so.ch. Punktwolke (LiDAR 2014, 2018, 2019)
Bern National open LiDAR Cantonal LiDAR raw point cloud (4 points/m²) and 50 cm models are open via the Bern geoportal. Digitales Höhenmodell LIDAR (Rohdaten), Punktwolke

Datasets 6

Free is not the same as open. Cost is what you pay to get the data; the licence says what you may do with it. How cost and licence are defined

  • swissALTI3D (opens in a new tab)

    Federal Office of Topography swisstopo

    Cost Free Licence Open
    • DTM
    Resolution
    0.5 m
    Point density
    –
    Vertical accuracy
    0.3 m (new-generation LiDAR); 0.5 m (previous LiDAR below 2,000 m); 1–3 m (stereo correlation above 2,000 m)
    Acquired
    –
    Coverage
    All of Switzerland and Liechtenstein, 1 km² tiles, updated on a 6-year cycle
    Licence
    opendata.swiss terms of use: open use, must provide the source (commercial use allowed)
    Access
    Direct download
    Formats
    COG, ASCII XYZ
    Link check
    Link OK (HTTP 200),

  • swissSURFACE3D Raster (digital surface model) (opens in a new tab)

    Federal Office of Topography swisstopo

    Cost Free Licence Open
    • DSM
    Resolution
    0.5 m
    Point density
    –
    Vertical accuracy
    –
    Acquired
    –
    Coverage
    Switzerland and Liechtenstein, 1 km² tiles
    Licence
    opendata.swiss terms of use: open use, must provide the source (commercial use allowed)
    Access
    Direct download
    Formats
    COG
    Link check
    Link OK (HTTP 200),

  • Digitales Höhenmodell LIDAR (Rohdaten), Punktwolke (opens in a new tab)

    Amt für Geoinformation des Kantons Bern

    Cost Free Licence Open
    • Point cloud
    • DTM
    Resolution
    –
    Point density
    4 pts/m²
    Vertical accuracy
    –
    Acquired
    –
    Coverage
    Canton of Bern
    Licence
    opendata.swiss terms of use: open use (commercial use allowed)
    Access
    Direct download
    Formats
    LAS
    Link check
    Link OK (HTTP 200),

  • LiDAR-Punktdaten 2024 and LiDAR DTM 2024 (opens in a new tab)

    AGIS Service Center Kanton Aargau

    Cost Free Licence Open
    • Point cloud
    • DTM
    Resolution
    –
    Point density
    –
    Vertical accuracy
    –
    Acquired
    2019, 2024
    Coverage
    Canton of Aargau (complete leaf-off survey 22 March–8 April 2024)
    Licence
    opendata.swiss terms of use: open use (commercial use allowed)
    Access
    Direct download
    Formats
    –
    Link check
    Link OK (HTTP 200),

  • Punktwolke (LiDAR 2014, 2018, 2019) (opens in a new tab)

    Kanton Solothurn

    Cost Free Licence Open
    • Point cloud
    Resolution
    –
    Point density
    16 pts/m²
    Vertical accuracy
    10 cm (1σ)
    Acquired
    2014, 2019
    Coverage
    Canton of Solothurn
    Licence
    opendata.swiss terms of use: open use (commercial use allowed)
    Access
    Direct download
    Formats
    –
    Link check
    Link OK (HTTP 200),

  • swissSURFACE3D (classified point cloud) (opens in a new tab)

    Federal Office of Topography swisstopo

    Cost Free Licence Open
    • Point cloud
    Resolution
    –
    Point density
    –
    Vertical accuracy
    –
    Acquired
    –
    Coverage
    All of Switzerland and Liechtenstein since 2024, 1 km² tiles
    Licence
    opendata.swiss terms of use: open use, must provide the source (commercial use allowed)
    Access
    Direct download
    Formats
    LAZ 1.4 (COPC), LAS 1.2
    Link check
    Link OK (HTTP 200),

Elsewhere in Europe