Step-by-Step Tutorial
What is Geoportal Bayern?
The Geoportal Bayern is the official geospatial data portal for Bavaria, operated by the Landesamt für Digitalisierung, Breitband und Vermessung (LDBV) — the State Office for Digitization, Broadband and Surveying. Since January 2023, the LDBV has made extensive geodata available as OpenData through their dedicated portal at geodaten.bayern.de/opengeodata/.
Key Specifications
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Coverage | Complete (Flächendeckend) — all of Bavaria (~70,550 km²) |
| Point Density | Pre-2012: ≥1 pt/m² | 2012+: ≥4 pts/m² |
| Vertical Accuracy | ±10 cm (flat, open terrain) |
| Tile Size | 1 km × 1 km |
| Coordinate System | ETRS89 / UTM Zone 32 (EPSG:25832) |
| Vertical Datum | DHHN2016 (German Main Elevation Network) |
| License | CC BY 4.0 (free for commercial use) |
The Bavaria OpenData portal showing all available geospatial products
01
Access the OpenData Portal
Navigate to the Bavarian OpenData portal at geodaten.bayern.de/opengeodata/
The portal offers a clean gallery interface organized by product type. No account or registration is required to download data — just click and download.
Look for these key products:
- Digitales Geländemodell (DGM1/DGM5) — Terrain models
- Digitales Oberflächenmodell (DOM) — Surface model
- Laserdaten — Raw point cloud data
02
Select Your Data Product
Click on your desired product to access the download page. For point clouds, select Laserdaten.
The detail page shows important specifications:
- Lizenz — CC BY 4.0 (free for commercial use)
- Koordinatensystem — UTM32 (EPSG:25832)
- Datenformat — LAZ (compressed point cloud)
- Kachelung — 1 km × 1 km tiles
- Datenmenge — Up to 1 GB per tile
You have two download options: Download (individual tiles) or Massendownload (bulk download via Metalink).
Laserdaten detail page showing specifications and download options
BayernAtlas showing LiDAR coverage (blue areas) across Bavaria
03
Open the Interactive Map
Click “Gebiet im BayernAtlas auswählen” to open the interactive tile selection map in BayernAtlas.
The map shows all of Bavaria with LiDAR coverage highlighted in blue. This confirms that data is available statewide — complete coverage of all 70,550 km².
Navigation tips:
- Use the search bar to find specific locations
- Zoom in until the selection grid appears
- The grid shows individual 1 km × 1 km tiles
04
Select and Download Tiles
Once zoomed in, you’ll see the 1 km × 1 km tile grid. Click on any tile to select it for download.
For individual tiles:
- Click on your area of interest
- A popup shows tile information and download links
- Click the download link to get the LAZ file directly
For bulk downloads (Massendownload):
- Use the “Polygonale Auswahl” to draw a selection area
- Or select by “Verwaltungseinheiten” (administrative units)
- Download via Metalink (.meta4) for efficient multi-file downloads
Tip: Each tile can be up to 1 GB — plan your storage accordingly!
Tile selection grid in BayernAtlas — each square is a 1 km × 1 km downloadable tile
Available File Formats
Bavaria’s OpenData portal offers multiple output formats depending on your needs:
| Product | Format | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Point Clouds | LAZ | Compressed LAS format (recommended, 70-90% smaller) |
| Terrain Models | GeoTIFF | 32-bit floating point elevation raster |
| Terrain Models | ASCII-TXT (XYZ) | Plain text with X, Y, Z coordinates per line |
| Surface Models | GeoTIFF | High-resolution surface elevation raster |
Tips for Large Downloads
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Since January 2023, the Bayerische Vermessungsverwaltung provides DGM (terrain models), DOM (surface models), and raw laser point clouds as OpenData under CC BY 4.0. There are no licensing fees — just provide attribution: “Datenquelle: Bayerische Vermessungsverwaltung – www.geodaten.bayern.de”
Bavaria’s data is provided in ETRS89 / UTM Zone 32 (EPSG:25832). UTM Zone 33 versions are also available for eastern Bavaria. The vertical datum is DHHN2016, Germany’s official height reference system.
Bavaria updates its LiDAR through regular flight campaigns (Bayernbefliegung). Most data is from 2012 onwards with 4+ points/m² density. Use the flight overview KML file in BayernAtlas to check capture dates for specific areas.
Absolutely. The CC BY 4.0 license allows commercial use. Just include the required attribution: “Datenquelle: Bayerische Vermessungsverwaltung – www.geodaten.bayern.de”
DGM (Digitales Geländemodell) is a bare-earth terrain model showing ground elevation with vegetation and buildings removed. DOM (Digitales Oberflächenmodell) shows the actual surface including trees, buildings, and all features. DGM is derived from classified ground points; DOM uses first-return data.
Bavaria’s point clouds include: Ground points (Bodenpunkte), Object points (Objektpunkte — vegetation), Building points (Gebäudepunkte), Unclassified near-ground points, and since 2025, Power lines & poles (utility infrastructure).
Process Your Bavaria Data with Lidarvisor
Once you’ve downloaded your Bavaria LiDAR data, Lidarvisor makes processing straightforward. Upload your LAZ files or GeoTIFFs, visualize in 3D, filter by point classification, and generate hillshades, contours, and cross-sections — all in your browser.
Additional Resources
- Geoportal Bayern — Main geospatial portal
- BayernAtlas — Interactive map viewer with terrain relief
- LDBV Laserpunkte Info — Official product documentation
- Point Classification Guide (PDF) — Detailed class descriptions
Attribution: When using Bavaria’s LiDAR data, include: “Datenquelle: Bayerische Vermessungsverwaltung – www.geodaten.bayern.de”