The subject of this thesis is a discourse of the altitudinal component of topographic maps of the Member States of the European Union. The work is focused on the necessity of the system of altitude measurement and the reasons and methods of its representation in maps, explains the basic concepts, is engaged in the theory of the altitudes in general and presents the altitude systems. It discusses the historical and current methods of representation of the altitudes in maps in more detail and from a broader point of view. It is focused on the State map series of the Czech Republic and discusses the altitudinal systems of Europe, the countries of the European Union and the representation of the altitudes on topographic maps of these countries. Finally, it evaluates the comprehensibility and the clear arrangement of the methods used for the representation of altitudes in the available maps.