Circular? Rectangular? Unsolvable and never-ending? What’s your ideal maze style? If those pesky little maze puzzles just don’t get your excitement pumping, you can step it up a notch and visit these awesome real-life mazes around the world!
Snow Maze, Japan
The Sapporo Ice and Snow Festival is a cool thing to experience if you’re in Japan and here, you’ll also find a wicked snow maze. While it might not be that big, weaving your way through this structure is loads of icy fun. Other highlights of the festival include the Ice Bar, snow slides and huge sculptures made entirely of snow.
Hampton Court Maze, UK
Perhaps the world’s most “royal” maze, the Hampton Court maze (at the beautiful Hampton Court Palace) came to life when it was commissioned in 1700 by William III. This maze supposedly revolutionised the maze world by popularising ‘multicursal’ mazes, where there is more than one path to take and where dead-ends will send you crazy!
Reignac-sur-Indre Maze, France
A day trip to Touraine in France’s Loire Valley will bring you to this amazing maze, which was built in 1996 and is said to be the largest in the world (covering 10 acres) to be made entirely of plants. Summer is the best time to visit this maze, as it’s replanted each year and sprouts beautiful sunflowers or corn, which are then harvested and sold. Talk about being resourceful!
Maze of Books, UK
In 2012, this amazing literary-loving maze popped up inside London’s Royal Festival Hall and featured over 250,000 books that created a series of winding turns, passages and dead ends. Most impressively, it was actually designed by Brazilian artists Marcos Saboya and Gualter Pupo to reflect the pattern of a fingerprint.
Pineapple Garden Maze, USA
Other than surfing and cocktail drinking while in Hawaii, you can also explore this groovy maze at the Dole Plantation in Wahiawa, just north of Honolulu. With a pineapple shaped hedge pattern in the middle, this maze will keep you busy for hours.
Longleat Maze, UK
This world famous hedge maze is the world’s longest and is fantastic fun for kids and adults alike. The goal is to get to the observation tower in the centre and with an area of almost 1.5 acres, the challenge is on! Also, the 16,000 yews are guaranteed to wow you.
Villa Pisani Labirinto, Italy
If you’re up for a real maze task, you’ll find it at Villa Pisani near Venice. This wonder features 9 layers of mazing difficulty, with hedges that are way too tall to see over. It was constructed in 1720 for Pisani, a rich Venetian doge. Rumour has it that Napoleon once got lost in this maze. If you’re visiting, make sure you explore the villa and surrounding scenery as well.
Timber Maze, Australia
Time to get maze crazy at Outback Splash, Australia’s own maze park located in Bullsbrook, Western Australia (just 50 minutes north of Perth). The timber maze will have you twisting and turning all over and interestingly, it’s been around since 1981. Once you’ve conquered this one, it’s then on to other mazes like Danae’s Dilemma, Tayla’s Tangle and the Tyre Maze. Great for kids!
Ripley’s Mirror Maze, USA
Believe it or not, you’ll find this cool mirror maze nestled in Gatlinburg, Tennessee at the popular Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Ogle at your own reflection as you try and navigate this reflective mystery, with extra LED lights added just to create more confusion. Other cool experiences here include the Haunted Adventure and the moving movie theatre.
Photo credits: Stan Shebs, Sasakei, bobgjohnson, Benoit.dessucy, revstan, W Nowicki, Niki Odolphie, pdenker, iansand, eddiewong2006