diff --git a/web/src/padelnomics/api.py b/web/src/padelnomics/api.py
index 34cabd9..edf356e 100644
--- a/web/src/padelnomics/api.py
+++ b/web/src/padelnomics/api.py
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ async def countries():
 
 
 @bp.route("/markets/<country_slug>/cities.json")
+@login_required
 async def country_cities(country_slug: str):
     """City-level data for a country overview bubble map."""
     await _require_maps_flag()
diff --git a/web/src/padelnomics/content/routes.py b/web/src/padelnomics/content/routes.py
index ba48035..412fece 100644
--- a/web/src/padelnomics/content/routes.py
+++ b/web/src/padelnomics/content/routes.py
@@ -367,8 +367,42 @@ async def article_page(url_path: str):
 
     body_html = build_path.read_text()
 
+    # Detect country-overview pages and inline map data (no JSON API fetch)
+    map_locations: list[dict] = []
+    parts = clean_path.strip("/").split("/")
+    if len(parts) == 2 and parts[0] == "markets":
+        country_slug = parts[1]
+        map_locations = await fetch_analytics(
+            """
+            SELECT location_name AS city_name, city_slug, lat, lon,
+                   COALESCE(city_padel_venue_count, 0) AS padel_venue_count,
+                   market_score, opportunity_score, population,
+                   nearest_padel_court_km
+            FROM serving.location_profiles
+            WHERE country_slug = ? AND opportunity_score > 0
+            ORDER BY opportunity_score DESC
+            LIMIT 300
+            """,
+            [country_slug],
+        )
+        article_rows = await fetch_all(
+            """SELECT url_path FROM articles
+               WHERE url_path LIKE ? AND status = 'published'
+               AND published_at <= datetime('now')""",
+            (f"/markets/{country_slug}/%",),
+        )
+        article_slugs: set[str] = set()
+        for a in article_rows:
+            a_parts = a["url_path"].rstrip("/").split("/")
+            if len(a_parts) >= 4:
+                article_slugs.add(a_parts[3])
+        for row in map_locations:
+            slug = row.get("city_slug")
+            row["has_article"] = slug in article_slugs if slug else False
+
     return await render_template(
         "article_detail.html",
         article=article,
         body_html=Markup(body_html),
+        map_locations=map_locations,
     )
diff --git a/web/src/padelnomics/content/templates/article_detail.html b/web/src/padelnomics/content/templates/article_detail.html
index 88420a5..19f3eba 100644
--- a/web/src/padelnomics/content/templates/article_detail.html
+++ b/web/src/padelnomics/content/templates/article_detail.html
@@ -62,8 +62,11 @@
 {% block scripts %}
 <script>
 window.LEAFLET_JS_URL = '{{ url_for("static", filename="vendor/leaflet/leaflet.min.js") }}';
-window.__MAP_T = {score_label:"{{ t.map_score_label }}",venues:"{{ t.map_venues }}",pop:"{{ t.map_pop }}",click_explore:"{{ t.map_click_explore }}",coming_soon:"{{ t.map_coming_soon }}",courts:"{{ t.map_courts }}",indoor:"{{ t.map_indoor }}",outdoor:"{{ t.map_outdoor }}"};
+window.__MAP_T = {score_label:"{{ t.map_score_label }}",venues:"{{ t.map_venues }}",pop:"{{ t.map_pop }}",click_explore:"{{ t.map_click_explore }}",coming_soon:"{{ t.map_coming_soon }}",courts:"{{ t.map_courts }}",indoor:"{{ t.map_indoor }}",outdoor:"{{ t.map_outdoor }}",km_nearest:"{{ t.map_km_nearest }}",no_nearby:"{{ t.map_no_nearby }}"};
 </script>
+{% if map_locations %}
+<script id="country-map-data" type="application/json">{{ map_locations | tojson }}</script>
+{% endif %}
 <script src="{{ url_for('static', filename='js/map-markers.js') }}"></script>
 <script src="{{ url_for('static', filename='js/article-maps.js') }}"></script>
 {% endblock %}
diff --git a/web/src/padelnomics/static/js/article-maps.js b/web/src/padelnomics/static/js/article-maps.js
index 01200c8..4a10c9f 100644
--- a/web/src/padelnomics/static/js/article-maps.js
+++ b/web/src/padelnomics/static/js/article-maps.js
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@
  * Leaflet map initialisation for article pages (country + city maps).
  *
  * Looks for #country-map and #city-map elements. If neither exists, does nothing.
- * Expects data-* attributes on the map elements and a global LEAFLET_JS_URL
- * variable pointing to the Leaflet JS bundle.
+ * Country maps read inline JSON from #country-map-data (no network fetch).
+ * City maps still fetch venue data from the JSON API.
  *
  * Depends on map-markers.js (window.PNMarkers) being loaded first.
  */
@@ -24,67 +24,71 @@
   }
 
   function initCountryMap(el) {
+    var dataEl = document.getElementById('country-map-data');
+    if (!dataEl) return;
+    var data = JSON.parse(dataEl.textContent);
     var slug = el.dataset.countrySlug;
     var map = L.map(el, {scrollWheelZoom: false});
     L.tileLayer(TILES, { attribution: TILES_ATTR, maxZoom: 18 }).addTo(map);
     var lang = document.documentElement.lang || 'en';
-    fetch('/api/markets/' + slug + '/cities.json')
-      .then(function(r) { return r.json(); })
-      .then(function(data) {
-        if (!data.length) return;
-        var maxV = Math.max.apply(null, data.map(function(d) { return d.padel_venue_count || 1; }));
-        var bounds = [];
-        data.forEach(function(c) {
-          if (!c.lat || !c.lon) return;
-          var size = 10 + 36 * Math.sqrt((c.padel_venue_count || 1) / maxV);
-          var hasArticle = c.has_article !== false;
-          var score = c.opportunity_score || 0;
-          var hex = sc(score);
-          var pop = fmtPop(c.population);
-          var tip = '<strong>' + c.city_name + '</strong><br>'
-            + '<span style="display:inline-block;width:8px;height:8px;border-radius:50%;background:' + hex + ';vertical-align:middle;margin-right:4px;"></span>'
-            + '<span style="color:' + hex + ';font-weight:600;">' + (T.score_label || 'Padelnomics Score') + ': ' + Math.round(score) + '/100</span><br>'
-            + '<span style="color:#94A3B8;font-size:0.75rem;">'
-            + (c.padel_venue_count || 0) + ' ' + (T.venues || 'venues')
-            + (pop ? ' · ' + pop + ' ' + (T.pop || 'pop') : '') + '</span>';
-          if (hasArticle) {
-            tip += '<br><span style="color:#94A3B8;font-size:0.75rem;">' + (T.click_explore || 'Click to explore →') + '</span>';
-          } else {
-            tip += '<br><span style="color:#94A3B8;font-size:0.75rem;">' + (T.coming_soon || 'Coming soon') + '</span>';
-          }
-          var icon = PNMarkers.makeIcon({
-            size: size,
-            color: hex,
-            muted: !hasArticle,
-          });
-          var marker = L.marker([c.lat, c.lon], { icon: icon })
-            .bindTooltip(tip, { className: 'map-tooltip', direction: 'top', offset: [0, -Math.round(size / 2)] })
-            .addTo(map);
-          if (hasArticle) {
-            marker.on('click', function() { window.location = '/' + lang + '/markets/' + slug + '/' + c.city_slug; });
-          }
-          bounds.push([c.lat, c.lon]);
-        });
-        if (bounds.length) map.fitBounds(bounds, { padding: [24, 24] });
 
-        // Highlight user's city (best-effort name match via CF-IPCity)
-        var uc = (window.__GEO || {}).city || '';
-        if (uc) {
-          var match = data.find(function(c) {
-            return c.city_name && c.city_name.toLowerCase() === uc.toLowerCase();
-          });
-          if (match && match.lat && match.lon) {
-            var hSize = 10 + 36 * Math.sqrt((match.padel_venue_count || 1) / maxV);
-            var hIcon = PNMarkers.makeIcon({
-              size: hSize,
-              color: sc(match.opportunity_score || 0),
-              highlight: true,
-            });
-            L.marker([match.lat, match.lon], { icon: hIcon }).addTo(map);
-          }
-        }
-      })
-      .catch(function(err) { console.error('Country map fetch failed:', err); });
+    if (!data.length) return;
+    var maxPop = Math.max.apply(null, data.map(function(d) { return d.population || 1; }));
+    var bounds = [];
+    data.forEach(function(c) {
+      if (!c.lat || !c.lon) return;
+      var size = 8 + 36 * Math.sqrt((c.population || 1) / maxPop);
+      var hasArticle = c.has_article === true;
+      var score = c.opportunity_score || 0;
+      var hex = sc(score);
+      var pop = fmtPop(c.population);
+      var venueInfo = (c.padel_venue_count || 0) > 0
+        ? (c.padel_venue_count + ' ' + (T.venues || 'venues'))
+        : (c.nearest_padel_court_km
+          ? Math.round(c.nearest_padel_court_km) + ' ' + (T.km_nearest || 'km to nearest court')
+          : (T.no_nearby || 'No courts nearby'));
+      var tip = '<strong>' + c.city_name + '</strong><br>'
+        + '<span style="display:inline-block;width:8px;height:8px;border-radius:50%;background:' + hex + ';vertical-align:middle;margin-right:4px;"></span>'
+        + '<span style="color:' + hex + ';font-weight:600;">' + (T.score_label || 'Padelnomics Score') + ': ' + Math.round(score) + '/100</span><br>'
+        + '<span style="color:#94A3B8;font-size:0.75rem;">'
+        + venueInfo
+        + (pop ? ' · ' + pop + ' ' + (T.pop || 'pop') : '') + '</span>';
+      if (hasArticle) {
+        tip += '<br><span style="color:#94A3B8;font-size:0.75rem;">' + (T.click_explore || 'Click to explore →') + '</span>';
+      } else {
+        tip += '<br><span style="color:#94A3B8;font-size:0.75rem;">' + (T.coming_soon || 'Coming soon') + '</span>';
+      }
+      var icon = PNMarkers.makeIcon({
+        size: size,
+        color: hex,
+        muted: !hasArticle,
+      });
+      var marker = L.marker([c.lat, c.lon], { icon: icon })
+        .bindTooltip(tip, { className: 'map-tooltip', direction: 'top', offset: [0, -Math.round(size / 2)] })
+        .addTo(map);
+      if (hasArticle) {
+        marker.on('click', function() { window.location = '/' + lang + '/markets/' + slug + '/' + c.city_slug; });
+      }
+      bounds.push([c.lat, c.lon]);
+    });
+    if (bounds.length) map.fitBounds(bounds, { padding: [24, 24] });
+
+    // Highlight user's city (best-effort name match via CF-IPCity)
+    var uc = (window.__GEO || {}).city || '';
+    if (uc) {
+      var match = data.find(function(c) {
+        return c.city_name && c.city_name.toLowerCase() === uc.toLowerCase();
+      });
+      if (match && match.lat && match.lon) {
+        var hSize = 8 + 36 * Math.sqrt((match.population || 1) / maxPop);
+        var hIcon = PNMarkers.makeIcon({
+          size: hSize,
+          color: sc(match.opportunity_score || 0),
+          highlight: true,
+        });
+        L.marker([match.lat, match.lon], { icon: hIcon }).addTo(map);
+      }
+    }
   }
 
   function initCityMap(el, venueIcon) {