The World's 5 Most Impressive Garden Mazes

The 5 most impressive garden mazes in the world are:

The 3 most impressive garden mazes in Australia are:

  • Ashcombe Maze, Victoria – Australia’s Oldest Maze
  • Bago Maze, NSW – New South Wales’ Largest Hedge Maze
  • Tasmazia and the Village of the Lower Crackpot, TAS – Australia’s Quirkiest Maze
 

The Biggest Maze: Yancheng Dafeng Dream Maze, China

Yancheng Dafeng Dream Maze - China

Yancheng Dafeng Dream Maze, China Key facts

  • Size: 35,596.74 square metres
  • Length of pathway: 9,457.36 metres
  • Construction time: 5 months
  • Age: 2 years old
  • Features: Observatory tower, bridges, seats, statues, and extra mazes!
Deemed the world’s biggest maze by Guinness World Records in 2018, the Yancheng Dafeng Dream Maze in China has one main maze and several side mazes to see. The main attraction is an elk-shaped maze fitted with ten different rest stops. Other mazes include circular designs, heart-shaped designs, and mazes with glass structures to walk through.

The Hardest Maze: Villa Pisani Labyrinth, Italy

Villa Pisani garden maze visitors enter

Villa Pisani Labyrinth Key facts

  • Size: 3600 square metres
  • Length of pathway: “several miles long”
  • Construction time: 15 years
  • Age: 285 years old
  • Features: A statue of Minerva atop a tower, accessed via a double spiral staircase.
When travel sites call this the most difficult-to-navigate maze in the world, they’re not saying it lightly! When Napoleon occupied Italy, he admitted struggling in the maze, and when Hitler and Mussolini worked together in WWII, neither of them was brave enough to try! Now, however, a watchman at the central turret will guide you if you’re totally lost, and congratulate you when you finally make it to the centre tower, climb the double spiral staircase, and meet Minerva.

The Oldest Maze: Hampton Court Palace Maze, England

Hampton Court Palace Maze - England

Hampton Court Palace Maze, England - Key facts

  • Size: 242,811 square metres
  • Length of pathway: 20 minutes
  • Construction time: Approx. 5 years
  • Age: over 300 years old
  • Features: A sound work called Trace, triggered by hidden sensors in the maze ‘walls’
The Hampton Court Palace maze is the oldest surviving hedge maze in the world. It was commissioned by William III in the late 17th  century. While its original hedges have been periodically replaced, it still retains its original design by George London and Henry Wise – who, despite being royal gardeners, weren’t allowed to ‘interfere’ with the court overlooking their creation!

The Most Important Maze: The Peace Maze, Northern Ireland

Peace Maze, Northern Ireland

The Peace Maze, Northern Ireland - Key facts

  • Size: 10,926 square metres
  • Length of pathway: 3.5 kilometres
  • Construction time: 2 years
  • Age: 20 years old
  • Features: The Peace Bell
The Peace Maze was planted at the turn of the century to commemorate the Northern Ireland conflicts and celebrate the signing of the Good Friday Agreement (AKA the Belfast Agreement), which ended a period of unrest called the Troubles. 5000 members of the community came together to plant the 6000 trees that make up the maze, which was designed by Lear Associates in collaboration with children tasked to come up with creative ideas for the maze.

The Most Symbolic Maze: Penpont Maze, Wales

Penpont Maze - Wales

Penpont Maze, Wales - Key facts

  • Size: 165 square feet
  • Age: 20 years old
  • Features: Shaped like The Green Man, a pagan symbol of rebirth

The Penpont Maze is the largest representation of the pagan Green Man in the world. It was commissioned to celebrate the new millennium and symbolize renewal. Local artist David Eveleigh sourced the materials locally when designing and constructing the maze. 4,500 beech saplings were sourced from the estate, pebbles from the River Usk, quarts from the River Wye and standing stone and stone flags from the Black Mountains. The maze also features a sun garden, moon garden, and heart labyrinth.

 

Australia’s Top 3 Best Mazes

1. Ashcombe Maze, Victoria – Australia’s Oldest Maze

The Ashcombe Maze in Shoreham, Victoria, is Australia’s oldest and most famous maze. At over 100, 000 square metres in area and thousands of metres long, it’s made of over 1000 Cyprus trees. After finding the four mosaic flags of the main maze, you can challenge yourself to the Great Ashcombe Gnome Hunt or take a walk through the Discovery Gardens.

 

2. Bago Maze, NSW – New South Wales’ Largest Hedge Maze

Just 39 minutes outside of Port Macquarie sits the largest hedge maze in NSW – Bago Maze. The company-described “Lilly Philly hedge maze” features hidden walkways, sunken pathways and musical instruments. At two metres high 10, 000 square metres in area, and over 2 kilometres long, it’ll be hard to miss – once you pass the eucalypt forest and rolling hills of the winery.

 

3. Tasmazia and the Village of the Lower Crackpot, TAS – Australia’s Quirkiest Maze

Home of the 33-year-old Great Maze and 8 other main mazes, Tasmazia and the Village of the Lower Crackpot is nothing if not a little quirky. Other than their main attraction – the largest maze in the world when it was built in 1987 – Tazmazia hosts a replica of the Hampton Court Maze, and their original Yellow Brick Road Maze and Balance Maze. When you’re tired of mazes, you can explore their miniature village built at 1/5 scale and walk through their Embassy Gardens, with buildings dedicated to over 40 countries around the world.