diff --git a/src/plotting/postprocessing_plotting.py b/src/plotting/postprocessing_plotting.py
index 3338ce4c0d6f14aa8c0173779329a2fd81f0f57e..f469131343bc1ba4bcf5e86c1d98b95752afb275 100644
--- a/src/plotting/postprocessing_plotting.py
+++ b/src/plotting/postprocessing_plotting.py
@@ -7,8 +7,7 @@ import os
 import warnings
 from typing import Dict, List, Tuple
 
-import cartopy.crs as ccrs
-import cartopy.feature as cfeature
+
 import matplotlib
 import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
 import numpy as np
@@ -126,6 +125,9 @@ class PlotStationMap(RunEnvironment):
     background, but this can be adjusted by loading locally stored topography data (not implemented yet). The plot is
     saved under plot_path with the name station_map.pdf
     """
+    import cartopy.crs as ccrs
+    import cartopy.feature as cfeature
+
     def __init__(self, generators: Dict, plot_folder: str = "."):
         """
         Sets attributes and create plot
@@ -141,11 +143,11 @@ class PlotStationMap(RunEnvironment):
         """
         Draw coastline, lakes, ocean, rivers and country borders as background on the map.
         """
-        self._ax.add_feature(cfeature.COASTLINE.with_scale("50m"), edgecolor='black')
-        self._ax.add_feature(cfeature.LAKES.with_scale("50m"))
-        self._ax.add_feature(cfeature.OCEAN.with_scale("50m"))
-        self._ax.add_feature(cfeature.RIVERS.with_scale("50m"))
-        self._ax.add_feature(cfeature.BORDERS.with_scale("50m"), facecolor='none', edgecolor='black')
+        self._ax.add_feature(self.cfeature.COASTLINE.with_scale("50m"), edgecolor='black')
+        self._ax.add_feature(self.cfeature.LAKES.with_scale("50m"))
+        self._ax.add_feature(self.cfeature.OCEAN.with_scale("50m"))
+        self._ax.add_feature(self.cfeature.RIVERS.with_scale("50m"))
+        self._ax.add_feature(self.cfeature.BORDERS.with_scale("50m"), facecolor='none', edgecolor='black')
 
     def _plot_stations(self, generators):
         """
@@ -161,7 +163,7 @@ class PlotStationMap(RunEnvironment):
                     # station_names = gen.get_data_generator(k).meta.loc[['station_id']]
                     IDx, IDy = float(station_coords.loc['station_lon'].values), float(
                         station_coords.loc['station_lat'].values)
-                    self._ax.plot(IDx, IDy, mfc=color, mec='k', marker='s', markersize=6, transform=ccrs.PlateCarree())
+                    self._ax.plot(IDx, IDy, mfc=color, mec='k', marker='s', markersize=6, transform=self.ccrs.PlateCarree())
 
     def _plot(self, generators: Dict, plot_folder: str):
         """
@@ -171,8 +173,8 @@ class PlotStationMap(RunEnvironment):
         :param plot_folder: path to save the plot
         """
         fig = plt.figure(figsize=(10, 5))
-        self._ax = fig.add_subplot(1, 1, 1, projection=ccrs.PlateCarree())
-        self._ax.set_extent([0, 20, 42, 58], crs=ccrs.PlateCarree())
+        self._ax = fig.add_subplot(1, 1, 1, projection=self.ccrs.PlateCarree())
+        self._ax.set_extent([0, 20, 42, 58], crs=self.ccrs.PlateCarree())
         self._draw_background()
         self._plot_stations(generators)
         self._save(plot_folder)