Labyrinths have fascinated humanity for thousands of years. Over time, they have evolved from having a deep symbolic charge to becoming sophisticated landscaping designs: true works of art that combine nature and imagination. Spaces that invite you to get lost and play with the environment.
The first labyrinth symbols appeared in regions as diverse as present-day Turkey, Greece, India and Ireland. For the Celtic people, labyrinths were part of funeral rituals and symbolised a journey of self-knowledge, a return trip to the centre of the self.
From the Renaissance onwards, labyrinths became key elements of landscaping, capable of integrating nature, creativity, and design into authentic works of art. Far from being simple decorations, they offer paths that invite play and connection with the environment.
Breogán Labyrinth
Contemporary landscaping has gone further and created spectacular labyrinths. One of them is the Breogán Labyrinth, designed by Raúl Casteller in the Coruña council of Vilarmaior. It was inaugurated in 2022 and has more than 4,000 cypress trees that delimit a 2.3-kilometre path. In total, it occupies 6,120 m², making it one of the largest in Spain. Its cross-shaped design is undoubtedly a tribute to the Celtic legacy of Galician culture.
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Massone’s Labyrinth
Another original design is the Labyrinth of Massone, created by Franco Maria Ricci in the Italian town of Fontanellato, in the province of Parma, and inaugurated in 2015. Made up of more than 300,000 bamboo plants of different species, between 3 and 15 meters high, it is the largest bamboo labyrinth in the world. Its design is the result of a promise made in 1977 by Ricci to the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges, who had a fascination with labyrinths. He told him that one day he would build the largest one in the world right there, in the fields where they both used to walk.
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Yancheng Dafeng Dream Maze
Finally, the Yancheng Dafeng Dream Maze (or Yancheng Dafeng Dream Maze) managed to enter the Guinness World Records after being considered the largest hedge maze in the world. It is located in Caoyan Village, Yacheng City, Jiangsu Province, China. The area covers an area of 666,666 m² and has an extensive network of trails totalling 9.45 kilometres. The site has a large maple maze (the main one) and several smaller mazes, heart-shaped, circle-shaped, and a more youth-friendly maze.
