A source of fun and sometimes frustration, mazes have been entertaining and confusing people for centuries. From beautiful historic labyrinths in Italy to award-winning puzzles with jaw-dropping designs, here we take a look at the most incredible mazes across the globe. Some in our selection are permanent fixtures, others are shaped specially each year and, either way, you are sure to have an a-maze-ing time.
Covering around 20 acres in Parma, Italy, this sprawling star-shaped maze claims to be the largest labyrinth in existence. Made up of around 200,000 bamboo plants reaching up to a staggering 49 feet (15m) high, the mighty maze is laced with more than 1.8 miles (3km) of pathways. There are plenty of traps and blind alleys to stumble upon as visitors attempt to make their way to the mysterious building in the middle.
This charming vino-themed maze on the Bago Vineyard in New South Wales is a wine-lover's dream. With more than 1.2 miles (2km) of pathways slicing through the greenery, it is the biggest maze in the region and one of the largest in the world. Its Lilly Pilly hedges have been growing from vines for more than a decade and are dotted with lookout towers, hidden walkways and musical instruments as well as bridges and boardwalks over a sunken path. Its curved design is intended to celebrate the cyclical nature of the vineyard.
Covering an area bigger than eight football pitches, the award-winning York Maze holds the title of the biggest maze in Europe. Made from more than one million maize plants, the mammoth maze is fashioned into a spectacular new shape each year and has become one of York’s most popular attractions. The maze is usually open between July to September.
Dubbed the world’s longest and most intricate, this complex corn maze in Spring Grove, Illinois, has around 10 miles (16km) of trails winding through its 28 acres of live corn. Typically created from four smaller mazes, visitors can choose to tackle one maze, a couple or the whole lot. The maze has multiple checkpoints and three bridges to help you get your bearings while navigating this beast of a puzzle. Each year the maze has a theme, the 2021 season (pictured here) celebrated the farm’s past 20 years of "A-Maze-ing".
Considered one of the finest mazes in the world, the perfectly trimmed hedges at Andrássy Castle form an intricate squid-like design that is sure to baffle and intrigue. The castle is located in northeast Hungary near the Slovakian border and was constructed in the late 19th century for Count Gyula Andrássy, the former Hungarian prime minister. Guarded by a spectacular marble sculpture, the maze has been providing dreamy ways to get lost ever since.
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The huge maize maze at Skylark Garden Centre in Cambridgeshire takes an exciting new form every year. In 2020, the puzzle was shaped as a huge thank you to the NHS while 2019 saw visitors challenged to complete a maze shaped as the Toy Story characters Woody and Buzz Lightyear, pictured here. The awesome maze is typically open from late July until the end of August.
With nearly two miles (2.8km) of pathways, Longleat’s hedge maze in Wiltshire is the longest in Britain. Made from more than 16,000 yew trees, the impressive maze was added to the estate in the 1970s and has been a popular attraction ever since. Visitors will need to track the winding paths in search of the central observation tower.
Sprawling over three acres, the Dole Plantation's spectacular maze in Hawaii is sure to impress. A staggering 14,000 colourful Hawaiian plants were used to carve out the larger-than-life labyrinth into its famous pineapple shape. Visitors must navigate nearly 2.5 miles (4km) of paths to seek out the eight secret stations hidden within which will help them reach the maze’s mysterious centre.
Located in the heart of Alberta, Canada, the Kraay Family Farm is famed for its incredibly detailed corn maze. In 2021 the maze celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Discovery of Insulin with its new design. At the maze entrance, there is a choice of trivia games for an extra layer of excitement and fun as visitors navigate their way around.
Comprised of six thousand Boxwood plants, the square-shaped maze of Valsanzibio features plants that are over 400 years old, having been planted between 1664 and 1669. This also makes the 17th-century maze one of the world’s oldest original plant labyrinths. Visitors of the verdant mile-long (1.5km) path have to try to find their way through its tall hedges, made up of two acres of plants. The monumental garden of Valsanzibio located near the Villa Barbarigo is usually open to visitors from the last weekend of February to the second weekend of December.
Probably one of the most serene puzzles in the world, the Green Man maze in Wales was planted in the shape of the pagan symbol of renewal as a tribute at the turn of the millennium. Surrounded by the gorgeous grounds of Penpont, one of the finest houses in the Brecon Beacons, the maze trails past pools, secret gardens, lavender, benches and tunnels and is a beautiful sight.
Encompassing roughly 10 acres, this magnificent maze on Deer Meadows Farms in Winnipeg, Canada creates intricate designs celebrating the region each year. In 2020, the maze celebrated 150 years of Manitoba as a province with a specially shaped design of a man hunting a bison on a horse. As well as its carefully crafted designs, there are trivia signs scattered across the maze for those up for a little competition.
Voted as one of the 10 best corn mazes in the USA, what makes this maze unique is its incredible location on a hillside in Danville, Vermont. Stretching across an impressive 24 acres, the maze offers panoramic countryside views as visitors pass by its unique attractions including an underground tunnel, bridges and even a few dinosaurs. The Great Vermont Maze is usually open only at certain times of the year, depending on the weather.
Characterised by its tall, narrow hedges, the maze at Schönbrunn Palace in Austria’s capital is as historic as it is stunning. First laid out around 1720, it was designed without the dead ends and false turns of a classic maze to offer the palace’s residents and guests an inviting setting for a gentle stroll. The maze was left abandoned and it wasn’t until 1991 that it was extended and restored to its former glory. Today, the elegant maze is home to a viewing platform in the middle next to two harmony stones which are said to have ‘energising properties’.
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One of Europe’s longest mazes crowns Noah’s Ark Farm Zoo near Bristol in North Somerset. The maze is made from around 14,000 beech trees delightfully trimmed into the shape of Noah’s Ark with seven of Noah’s animals hidden within it. Questions and clues to help those find their way can be found throughout the hedges. The zoo is also home to a mini-maze for smaller children to learn the ropes.
Treinen Farm in Lodi, Wisconsin is known for its imaginative mazes and award-winning designs. Each creation is personally designed after months of meticulous planning, and the trails are hand-cut into the cornfield every year without the use of GPS. It's no wonder the results are so charming.
This peaceful living puzzle was planted in the heart of the Glendurgan Garden in Mawnan Smith, near Falmouth, Cornwall. Planted with cherry laurel, pretty palm trees mark the four corners of the wavy maze, while a thatched summerhouse in the middle provides a lovely spot to sit back, relax and enjoy your achievement.
Often regarded as one of the most breathtaking fortresses in England, the double-moated 13th-century Hever Castle in Kent was once the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII's doomed second wife. The same can be said for its historic mazes. Set within the castle’s magnificent 125-acre grounds, visitors can try to tackle the hidden jets and titling stepping stones of the Water Maze or enjoy soaking up the romantic atmosphere of the more traditional Yew Maze.
This beautiful verdant maze sits on the grounds of Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, the ancestral seat of Duke of Marlborough and the birthplace of former prime minister Sir Winston Churchill. Made of hundreds of yew trees, Marlborough Maze stretches for around two miles (3.2km) and is the second largest symbolic hedge maze in the world. Its impressive design is inspired by the palace’s 300-year history and this year marks the maze’s 30th birthday.
The headquarters of crystal creators Swarovski in Austria is not a place you’d expect to find a fabulous maze but Kristallwelten (Crystal World) is home to one of the coolest puzzles on the planet. Located in the beautiful park landscape, the green labyrinth was designed by artist André Heller and forms a giant hand. The striking maze is the perfect spot for a few rounds of hide and seek before exploring the other attractions onsite.
One of Barcelona’s most underrated attractions, the labyrinth of the Laberint d’Horta Park is just as stunning as the surrounding greenery. Lying in the heart of the city’s Horta-Guinardó district, the pretty park was designed in the late 18th century and takes its name from the labyrinth. Carefully crafted from thick cypress trees in a design that honours Greek mythology, a marble statue of Eros (the god of love) watches over the park in the middle of the maze.
Originally a formal garden laid out in the 18th century, the hedge maze at Traquair House in Peeblesshire is the largest in Scotland and arguably the most picturesque too. Designed by Traquair craft worker John Schofield, its intriguing layout has no dead ends and challengers must reach four sub-centres before they can find their way to the middle.
Set amongst a dramatic backdrop of rugged mountains and sea, it’s easy to see why Castlewellan Forest Park's Peace Maze is rapidly becoming one of the country's most popular attractions. The second largest permanent hedge maze in the world, its 6,000 yew trees were planted by the people of Northern Ireland in 2000. The massive maze encompasses nearly three acres and at its centre is a bell to ring for those who manage to find their way.
This lush hedge maze is nestled on Australia’s Mornington Peninsula near Melbourne. Planted over 40 years ago, Ashcombe Maze now stands more than 9.8 feet high (3m) and 6.5 feet (2m) thick, with some delightfully narrow paths to squeeze through. With no string lines or straight edges to keep the hedges looking organic, navigating your way can be a bit tricky. The challenge is to find each of the four mosaic flags in the north and south halves of the maze, both of which are completely different.
Situated in Yancheng, China, this maze is arguably one of the most awe-inspiring puzzles in the world. Covering a staggering 383,160 square feet (35,596sqm), it holds the Guinness World Record title for the world’s largest permanent hedge maze. Shaped like a giant elk strutting through a field, the massive maze is dotted with rest areas, bridges and statues throughout as well as an observatory tower.
Known as the oldest surviving hedge maze in the UK and possibly the most famous in the world, Hampton Court’s multicursal maze dates back as far as the 1700s. Commissioned by William III, it was originally grown using hornbeam and was later replanted using yew trees as a puzzle maze. Encompassing over a third of an acre, its twists, turns and dead ends are known for confusing and intriguing those who try to conquer it.
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Built in 2011 to honour the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges on the 25th anniversary of his death, this green labyrinth on the Venetian island of San Giorgio Maggiore is as mind-bending as it gets. Made entirely from bamboo hedges, the maze covers more than 17 acres of the grounds of the Giorgio Cini Foundation, a non-profit cultural institution. Shaped like an open book, its twisting hedges spell out 'Borges' both normally and in a mirror image and is the ultimate tribute to the writer.
Family fun is the name of the game at this gorgeous spiral maze in Rotorua on New Zealand's North Island. You’re sure to get lost as you twist and turn through the 0.8 miles (1.4km) of winding hedge in search of the centre. There are optional gaps in the hedge where you can try to find shortcuts but, then, you’ll also hit permanent blocks and one-way doors. It's sure to leave you scratching your head.
Taking inspiration from the legendary Greek myth of the Minotaur, the Castello di San Pelagio created a maze that recalls the many mischievous mazes of Venetian Villas.In the myth, craftsman Daedalus gets locked up in the maze of Knossos for helping King Theseus defeat the Minotaur. Visitors can find the San Pelagio duplicate hidden in a lush park of over seven acres, which features another maze, a rose garden and a romantic lake.
Constructed during the Renaissance, this maze, located in the Gärten der Welt near Berlin, was actually modelled after a maze situated in the gardens of Hampton Court in England. The British original is considered one of the oldest in Europe and until this day has remained largely untouched. Made up of 1,225 evergreen yew trees, the German twin has hedges that reach over six feet (2m) in height and covers an area of around half an acre.
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