Labyrinths & Mazes

These breathtaking aerial shots of ancient and modern labyrinths and mazes offer an exciting new perspective on an age-old phenomenon, and an opportunity to better understand its meaning.

Allegories for life's uncertainty, labyrinths and mazes are ancient symbols that echo our own spiritual quests, transformations, and yearnings to find the right path. Jurgen Hohmuth used a custom-made camera attached to a miniature dirigible to photograph the labyrinths and mazes in this stunning book. The resulting low-altitude aerial photographs capture in astonishing detail the designs, textures, and settings that make each structure unique.

Presented in large full-color images, these gems of architectural landscaping take all forms and sizes, comprising an endless variety of materials: mosaics, cornstalks, sunflowers, stones, even beer crates. Laden with history, some labyrinths and mazes date back to the Bronze Age; grace the floors of medieval cathedrals; and spring up from the lawns of country estates. Modern incarnations are found in amusement parks, farmers' fields, and traffic circles. Lending depth to Hohmuth's photographs are brief essays from experts in the field, including Adrian Fisher, the world's foremost designer of labyrinths and mazes, as well as an innovative layout design that echoes the spirit of the labyrinth. Seen from a bird's-eye view, these man-made spiritual puzzles speak to us more eloquently than ever.