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Heart Map vs City Map vs 3 Location Map: Which Template Should You Choose?

Comparing the most popular map poster templates. Learn which one is right for your gift, occasion, and wall — heart map, city map, or 3-location love story map.

3 min read

Three Templates, Three Stories

Cartono Maps offers multiple templates, but three stand out as the most popular choices. Each tells your story in a different way. Here's how to pick the right one.

City Map — The Classic

What it is: A full-page map of any city with a title, subtitle, date, and GPS coordinates below.

Best for:

  • Marking one meaningful location
  • Home wall art with a clean, modern look
  • Gifts where the city itself is the star

    • Format: A4 portrait (210 x 297 mm)

    Example uses:

  • "Paris — Where Our Story Began — 14.02.2019"
  • "Manhattan — Home Sweet Home — 41.0°N, 73.9°W"
  • "Istanbul — Est. 1995"

    • The city map is the most versatile template. It works for any occasion and any city. If you're unsure which template to pick, start here.

    Try the City Map template

    Heart Map — The Romantic

    What it is: A map clipped into a heart shape with your custom text below.

    Best for:

  • Romantic gifts for partners
  • Valentine's Day, anniversaries, engagements
  • When the shape itself should communicate love

    • Format: A4 portrait or A4 landscape

    Example uses:

  • Names inside a heart over the city where you met
  • "Where He Proposed" with a heart marker on the exact spot
  • Engagement gift with the proposal city

    • The heart shape adds an immediate emotional layer. You don't need to explain it — the shape says "love." It's a stronger statement than a rectangular city map, but it's also more specialized.

    Try the Heart Map template

    3 Location Map — The Storyteller

    What it is: Three circle maps side by side, each with a location name above, milestone text below, and a date.

    Best for:

  • Telling a multi-chapter story (met → engaged → married)
  • Family journeys across generations
  • Travel memories spanning three cities

    • Format: A4 landscape (297 x 210 mm)

    Example uses:

  • "London / Rome / Barcelona — Met / Engaged / Married"
  • "Mom's birthplace / Dad's birthplace / Where the kids were born"
  • "Tokyo / Sydney / Berlin — Places We Called Home"

    • The 3-location template is the most narrative. It's less about a single place and more about the journey between places. Each circle is like a chapter.

    Try the 3 Location Map template

    Quick Comparison

    When to choose City Map:

  • You want to highlight one city
  • You prefer a full-page map that shows the entire urban layout
  • You want GPS coordinates displayed
  • The occasion is general (housewarming, graduation, travel memory)

    • When to choose Heart Map:

  • The gift is explicitly romantic
  • You want the shape to communicate the message
  • You prefer a focused view of one area (the heart clips a circular region)
  • It's for Valentine's Day, an anniversary, or an engagement

    • When to choose 3 Location Map:

  • You have three meaningful places to show
  • You want to tell a story with milestones and dates
  • It's a love story, family journey, or travel memory
  • You prefer a landscape format for a wide frame

    • Other Templates Worth Considering

    [1 Location Map](/templates/1-location-map) — A single heart-shaped map with minimal text. Like a simplified version of the heart map, focused on one moment.

    [Journey Map](/templates/journey-map) — A full-bleed map with two cities connected by a flight arc. Great for long-distance relationships.

    [Home Is Where Mom Is](/templates/home-is-where-mom-is) — A house-shaped map for Mother's Day or housewarming.

    [Multi City with Flags](/templates/multi-city-flags) — Three circle maps with country flags. Built for expats and travelers.

    Still Not Sure?

    Here's the simplest decision tree:

  • How many locations? One → City Map or Heart Map. Three → 3 Location Map.
  • Is it romantic? Yes → Heart Map. Not specifically → City Map.
  • Is it a story across time? Yes → 3 Location Map.

    • Or just open the design studio and try all three — switching templates takes one click. You won't lose your text when you switch.

    Ready to design your map poster?

    Open the editor, search any city, and preview instantly. No design skills needed.

    Open the map poster maker