As explained in a previous article on labyrinths there is a distinct difference between mazes and labyrinths. A labyrinth has a unicursal (single-path) design, leading from an entrance with a single, non-branching path to the centre, albeit by a complex and winding route. The way out is with the same, winding path. There is no possibility of getting lost. A maze, however, has a complex design, with many branches and different choices, sometimes leading to dead-ends, with no escape.   

Basically there are two categories of mazes: In the first instance those that are meant to be physically entered and solved from within by finding the way out, without any prior knowledge of the layout; secondly designs that are drawn or computer generated, and that can be seen all at once. It must be solved by logic alone, as explained later on. Both categories have different types, ranging from two-dimensional to three-dimensional, and from easy to extremely difficult.

The first category of mazes are those a tourist is interested in. The hedge type is the most popular, such as the one in the park-like grounds of the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria. It was originally created in the early 18th century as part of the gardens surrounding the impressive palace, but also as recreational fun for the Imperial family. It was felled in 1892, but recreated from historic records in 1998.

One of the most incredible hegde mazes is the one we found on the grounds of the Villa Pisani, in the town of Stra, in the Veneto region of Italy, some 25 km from Venice on the way to Padua, when we once drove to Rovigo, to see the city where Naas Botha played rugby some years ago. Created in the early 1700’s, the maze consists of layers of pathways in 12 concentric circles of high hedges leading to a central tower, which can be seen from any place in the maze. Regarded as one of the most difficult mazes of its kind, it is said that Napoleon once got lost there. When Mussolini and Hitler in later years met there, and hearing of Napoleon’s predicament, they declined the invitation to traverse it. Perhaps history could have been changed, had they entered!

In South Africa a number of different hedge mazes are to be found. In Honeydew, Johannesburg, just off Beyers Naude near the Western Bypass, two funfilled mazes called the Honedew A-Maize-ing Mazes offers a challenge to all family members from young to old. The maize maze of 3.5 km pathways has a striking soccer design for 2010. Depending on the plants it is open from January till June this year. The Elemental Maze of about 3 km. incorporate different gardens, with different types of mazes, such as the Rope Maze, of which the paths are created by coloured ropes through which teams could go racing. Five Six Minute Maxes test the logic of the partipants by setting elementary problems to be solved while moving along the path, whilst the Indigenous Maze has certain rules to be followed in order to find the way out.   

One of the most interesting mazes in the world are to be found at Soekershof (Seekers Garden), on Route 62, some 10 km to the west of Robertson in the Western Cape. It is not a maze in the traditional sense that you will get lost, but an interactive exploration of the gardens and mazes covering an area of 13 8870 sq meters. The paths take you by way of visualised objects and orientation  points towering above the hedges to different areas of this unique botanical garden, such as the Klaas Voogd’s Maze, created since 1910. The cactus maze comprize about 2 400 different succulent plants, amongst them South Africa’s oldest cactus.

The so-called trap maze in this category is of the type which has one-way doors at certain places in the paths. Taking the wrong turn will lead to doors that trap you so that you have to take a certain route, leading you back to the entrance. However, the same door, opening from the other side, will lead you on the way to the exit. A good example is the Halloween Maze in Ridgewood NJ in the USA.

Mazes of the second category are not physical creations to be entered by the participant, but are drawn and published in books and periodicals.  They are mainly used as tools challenging the intelligence, sometimes purely for the fun, such as simple ones for the kids, but then there are other with extremely complex designs for serious maze solvers.

Numerous books entirely devoted to maze puzzles have been published, especially since the 1970’s (When the renewed interest in labyriths also took off). The creators of these mazes use different techniques by which the roving eye or pure logic can be misleading. Pathways may cross over or under each other, spiral patterns with an abundance of pathways offers multiple seamingly valid routes from start to finish; sometimes certain rules have to be obeyed, in others the pathways cross over through holes from one page to the other.

Although it is not the aim of this article to discuss these types of mazes, it may be interesting to find your way through the following one:            

– Manie Wolvaardt