/r/papertowns
Papertowns is dedicated to well-crafted pictorial maps, detailed panoramic cityscapes, broad aerial vistas, intricate bird's-eye views, even full 3D reconstructions of cities, towns and citadels from any place.
Definition (According to /r/papertowns):
Papertowns: well-crafted pictorial maps, detailed panoramic cityscapes, broad aerial vistas, intricate bird's-eye views, fictional cities, even full 3D reconstructions both digital and physical. We enjoy anything from the famed citadels of antiquity to the quaint towns of the middle ages and the vibrant metropolises of our time.
If you also enjoy these works of cartography, history and art, then you'll fit in just fine.
Civility rule: Be courteous to others. Any post that puts down anyone for any reason will result in an immediate and permanent ban.
Relevance rule: Only post content related to this subreddit's definition of Papertowns (see above).
Title rule: Always include the city if possible and current country name in the submission title, otherwise it will be removed.
Repost rule: A repost may only be allowed if the original post has fewer than 100 upvotes and was submitted at least 6 months ago. If you wish to repost a popular submission, you may do so by making a text-submission, with the exact title as the original and it must promote an educated and relevant discussion.
This subreddit is dedicated to high quality illustrations only. Please bear that in mind when making a contribution here. Low quality or "casual" content will most likely be removed.
Filter Search by Country!
In order to keep things well organized, every submission has a country flair. Here are two short examples that illustrate how you can search for all papertowns from any specific country:
1. If the name of the country consists of a single word, for example Japan, then you will search like this:
flair:japan
2. If the name of the country consists of multiple words, for example United States, then you will search like this:
flair:united_states
Also, you can just click the flair next to any submission title to perform this search automatically.
Tip: In addition to its own separate flair, UK has four extra flairs for each of its constituent countries.
Here are some other similar subreddits you might be interested in:
/r/paperfolks for illustrations depicting the everyday life of our ancestors
/r/Map_Porn & /r/MapPorn for those of you who just love maps in general
/r/ImaginaryMaps if you're interested in Maps of fictional realms
/r/ImaginaryCityscapes if you enjoy Art featuring urban landscapes
/r/CityPorn for stunning pictures of cities from all around the world
/r/oldmaps for gorgeous maps of centuries past
/r/animatedbattlemaps & /r/battlegifs for studying the strategy and tactics of historical battles
If you want to be more professional...
/r/papertowns
127,659 Subscribers
Scenes in and around Kyoto, Japan (1615 CE)
13:52 UTC
Fictional city of Tallerhof
19:04 UTC
[USA] New York City over time from Cosmos: Possible Worlds
07:07 UTC
New York City (USA)
08:19 UTC
1751 Bird's-Eye View of London, United Kingdom
22:25 UTC
Nuremberg (1493), Germany
15:27 UTC
Four different cities according to the Nuremberg Chronicle woodcuts (Germany)
21:47 UTC
Dive into the secrets of the fictional city of Innsmouth: The Stolen Child with this hand-drawn sketch map, a handy guide to help you navigate the town’s dangrs and mysteries!
06:04 UTC
The City of Sareadar - Fictional
04:59 UTC
An illustration of a map of Kyoto with an electronic board style design.'fictional'
It was created using a 0.03mm pen and postcard-sized paper. When you look at an electronic board, it looks like a town seen from above. I got an idea from this and thought about what it would be like to represent a real city using an electronic board. I chose Kyoto as a theme because I thought that the city is laid out like a checkerboard, which makes it compatible with various electronic parts and circuits that are at right angles. Buildings are shown with electronic components, trains are shown with codes, and bus routes are shown with circuits.
05:00 UTC
Hand-drawn map of central Taipei, Taiwan. First drawn in 2011/12 and then expanded and changed in 2018 and 2024
02:44 UTC
Brașov/Kronstadt in the Late Middle Ages, when it was the most important city in Transylvania. Modern-day Romania. Illustration by Felix Crișan.
09:55 UTC
Copperplate of the panorama of Zagreb, Croatia from 1822 CE
12:02 UTC
This is my third and final set of city illustrations, this time featuring cities from ancient Roman and Greece eras.
06:50 UTC
Chemnitz, Germany c. 1650 by Matthäus Merian
09:21 UTC
Marburg (1605), Germany by Wilhelm Dilich
09:02 UTC
Tunisia currency has a map of ancient Carthage on it
18:23 UTC
[OC][Fictional] Dragon Spire | Fantasy City Map | Custom Digital Illustration by me
14:21 UTC
Another hand-drawn icons of the most famous medieval cities in Europe, inspired by the stunning illustrations of the Nuremberg Chronicle. England, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, and many others.
13:23 UTC
Jan Janssonius, Lutetia Parisiorum (Map of Paris, France, 1657)
19:35 UTC
I drew a non-existent trading port from 50 years ago with a 0.03mm pen.'fictional'
It was created using a 0.03mm pen and postcard-sized paper. For transshipment from large ships to railway cargo, trucks, and small boats going up rivers. A warehouse with distinctive red bricks and arches is still in use. There are signs of change at this historic port. An expressway is being constructed in the back of the port, and construction of a reclaimed land has begun next door. What will it be like in 50 years after?
01:09 UTC
Detroit, Michigan (USA) c. 1889
22:11 UTC
Fictional city of Nowe Miasto Śląskie based on real medieval Silesian cities.
10:53 UTC
My hand-drawn vector illustrations of Transylvanian, Romania settlements, extracted from a larger map that also depicts Transylvania, including my hometown, Oradea.
09:25 UTC