Saturday, April 18, 2020

Unusual hedge mazes in the world

One of the most memorable scenes of the movie “Three in a boat, not counting the dog” is the scene in which the main characters enter the maze. In our review, we will focus on the most unusual and beautiful hedge mazes around the world.

The 9 most unusual hedge mazes in the world


Longleat (Longleat, Wiltshire, England)
Longleat (Longleat, Wiltshire, England)

Composed of over 16,000 English yews, the Longleat Hedge Maze is one of the longest in the world. The length of its corridors is about 2.7 kilometers, and the total area of ​​the maze is 0.6 hectares. Since the 16th century, this territory belonged to the Marques of Bat, who in 1975 allocated part of the territory of their estate under a huge hedge maze. Later, the first safari park and three smaller labyrinth gardens were built on the estate.

Mason (Parma, Italy)
Mason (Parma, Italy)


The largest maze in the world is the "Mason", which was built in the Italian city, famous for its parmesan cheese. Curiously, the labyrinth was created as a result of a dispute between Italian publisher Franco Maria Ricci and writer Jorge Luis Borges. When Ricci announced that he wanted to build the world's largest maze, Borges replied that this was impossible.

The star-shaped labyrinth, which opened in May 2015, was built using 200,000 bamboo plants, and its territory is as much as 8 hectares. Seventy-year-old Ricci used a fast-growing bamboo instead of traditional trees and shrubs to see a ready-made labyrinth even before his death.

Andrassy Castle (Tisobod, Hungary)
Andrassy Castle (Tisobod, Hungary)

Located along the Tisza River near the Hungarian-Slovak border, the hedge labyrinth of boxwood and yew in the Andrassy Castle, according to the architect's idea from above, was supposed to resemble a huge squid. The castle itself was built in the 19th century for Count Andrássy.

Pineapple Maze (Wahayawa, Hawaii)
Pineapple Maze (Wahayawa, Hawaii)

This permanent hedge maze, which was the largest in the world before the Mason, is located on the Dole pineapple plantation in Hawaii. It consists of 14,000 pineapple bushes, which are fragrant along the entire four-kilometer path through the maze.

Labyrinth of Villa Pisani (Stra, Italy)
Labyrinth of Villa Pisani (Stra, Italy)

It is often said that, despite its small size, the labyrinth in the territory of Villa Pisani is the most difficult in the world. Guides like to say that in 1807, walking along the winding paths of the maze, Napoleon got lost in it. Whether it is a bike or not is unknown, but the labyrinth, built in 1720 by a rich doge near his villa, is one of the most beautiful in the world.

Corn Maze at Richardson Farm (Spring Grove, Illinois)
Corn Maze at Richardson Farm (Spring Grove, Illinois)

On the corn field of 13 hectares each year, the so-called corn maze is created. Moreover, its design changes every year - for example, in 2013 the labyrinth looked like a portrait of the Beatles on top, in 2014 it looked like the US flag, and in 2015 the labyrinth design was dedicated to the Chicago Blackhawks victory in the NHL.

Labyrinth of the world (Castlewellan, Ireland)
Labyrinth of the world (Castlewellan, Ireland)

A 1 hectare peace labyrinth was planted in 2000 to celebrate the signing of the Good Friday Agreement (Northern Ireland Political Conflict Resolution Agreement). It consists of two parts, and to go through the maze completely, you need to cross both. There is a tradition: one who has reached the center of the labyrinth calls the Peace Bell located there.

Ashcombe Maze (Victoria, Australia)
Ashcombe Maze (Victoria, Australia)

More than a thousand Monterey cypresses were used to build one of the oldest plant labyrinths in the Southern Hemisphere. Since the 1970s, cypresses have been carefully trimmed twice a year, with each haircut session lasting a whole month. Visitors need to go through two halves of the maze, each of which has its own unique design. And next to the cypress labyrinth is another labyrinth that was created from more than 4,000 lavender bushes.

Hampton Court Palace (Surrey, UK)
Hampton Court Palace (Surrey, UK)

By order of King William III, in 1700, the oldest hedge maze in the UK was built near the Hampton Court Palace. Initially, it was made of hornbeam, but then the trees were replaced by holly and yew. Hampton Court Labyrinth is known as one of the most complex in the world.

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