“A map is the greatest of all epic poems. Its lines and colors show the realization of great dreams.” ~ Gilbert H. Grosvenor, Editor of National Geographic (1903- 1954)
I have always been fascinated by maps, ever since I was a kid, and as a result of that I became a cartographer. Always liked the way that old maps were designed, painted and carefully planned. Nowadays, using modern technology, we tend to forget more and more about paper maps.
Some two years ago (according to “On this day” from my Facebook) I received a tip from a colleague about a magical place for a cartographer. Ever since that day, it became the place where I always like to go and leave my money :D, or just stare from the outside window at the beautiful globes and old maps.
This place is called “Jana Seta Map Shop”, and you can find it in Riga, on Elizabetes Street no.85a. According to their website (https://www.mapshop.lv), they started the business somewhere in 1994 and they were the only ones selling paper maps in the Baltic states, for some years. Jana Seta Map Shop is the sole distributor of Jana Seta Map Publishes, a company that creates a lot of cartographic products.
First time I entered the shop, I felt like a little kid left alone in a candy store. I could not believe my eyes how many replicas of old maps, how many topographical maps and globes can fit into one room, but the most impressive was the full wall covered with a projection of the Earth, in almost 3D like map (still got the goose bumps when I remember).
Moving forward, since last year, they moved to a smaller location and according to the guy that is taking care of the store, the business is not what used to be. People go there to either buy nice gifts to carto-enthusiastic fellows or a scratch map, either they see the nice shop and are curious about it. Very few of them buy tourist maps, even if you find the following statement on their website “ Together with the constant in-going and out-going tourism development in Latvia, our shop has grown to become one of the leading map shops in the whole of Eastern Europe”. He explained that this happens because, nowadays, everyone has maps on their smartphones.
So, next time you are in Riga, stop by this amazing shop. You will not regret it! For sure you will find some awesome gifts and souvenirs to bring back home with you.
Me, instead, I`m still holding onto my paper maps and hope one day to get rich by selling my precious collection :)))
The Cartographer's Journal 