The Underground Labyrinth in Brihuega, Spain

Beneath the charming Spanish village of Brihuega lies a hidden world: the Arab Caves, a labyrinth of tunnels carved into the earth centuries ago. The Arab Caves are an extensive network of tunnels and chambers that lie beneath this historic Spanish village and were constructed between the 10th and 11th centuries during the Moorish rule of the Iberian Peninsula. The labyrinth stretches for an astonishing five miles (eight kilometers).

Arab Caves entrance

By Håkan Svensson (Xauxa) - Own work, CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1325866

Key Features of the Arab Caves:

  • Cave History and Features:

    • Built during the Arab occupation of the Iberian Peninsula (10th-11th centuries).

    • Served as escape routes during sieges, allowing villagers to evade attackers and transport supplies.

    • Used as food storage facilities due to the constant temperature of 12°C (53°F) year-round.

    • Maze-like corridors and chambers.

    • The caves reveal glimpses of the past, including ironwork and ancient pottery.

    • For a gallery of photos, please visit TripAdvisor.

    • Offers a glimpse into Brihuega's medieval past.

  • Cave Accessibility:

    • Only 500 to 700 meters of the cave system is currently open to the public.

    • Much of the labyrinth remains uncharted or inaccessible.

    • The caves' consistently cool temperature makes them a perfect refuge on a hot day.

  • Visiting the Cave:

Exploring the city of Brihuega (above ground):

  • Brihuega itself is a charming village with a rich history, known for its lavender fields (Jardín de la Alcarria) and medieval architecture.

  • The name Brihuega is believed to derive from Iberian roots, meaning "strong or walled place."

  • The village's strategic location made it the site of several major battles throughout Spanish history.

  • While you are in town, be sure to visit the castle, city walls, lookout point and a very special museum:

    • Piedra Bermeja Castle

    • Barrionuevo Alto Tower

    • Brihuega view point

    • The most popular attraction in town is the Professor Max Miniatures Museum, which features miniatures of nearly everything imaginable.

Overall, the underground labyrinth in Brihuega is a remarkable historical site that offers visitors a unique opportunity to step back in time and experience the village's medieval past. It is a must-visit for history enthusiasts and anyone curious about Spain's hidden gems.

Maze Comic Book Cover #67 - Beaverly Hills

Issue #67 in my comic book cover series is called Beaverly Hills and features the maze of a Beaver. The background of the comic was made using starryai.

My comic book cover mazes can be found in 2 places:

Comic Book Cover Mazes - Year 1 (Issues #1-53)

Comic Book Cover Mazes - Year 2

Beaver Maze Comic Book

To receive a book of my first year of comic book book mazes (Volume 1 with mazes #1-53) you can sign up for my book alerts - any time I launch a free maze book, or paid book (on Amazon), I will send you a note about the new book launch.

Maze of the Week 59 Redux - QRO Walking Street (MOTW #171)

This was an experimental maze for me. I had never made a maze of a scene before and I like how it came out. It made the finalist for maze of the year on this site and got some #1 votes. The reason is not so much the maze but the nice colors of the buildings - thanks to the wonderful people of Mexico ! I also used a photo I had taken to make the maze (shown below for comparison). I wanted to give it an update using some new techniques. Here is the original blog post:

Maze of the Week #59 - Walking street in Queretaro, Mexico

Here are the enhancements I made to improve the maze:

1. Added textures. I added texture to all the bushes and the trees. They looked too flat before. Then I added textures to the walls of buildings - first 2 on the left, the first, and third buildings on the right, and the back building. I wanted the walls to look more like stucco. This did change some building colors. Oh, and also the dirt under the plants now includes some texture also.

2. Building Fix. I had to make a minor line fix on the 3rd building on the right to fix design mistake (seen only if zoomed in).

3. Sign Changed. I changed the colors of the the Q sign to be more accurate.

4. Pathways Size. I changed the pathways by increasing their size by 25% to make solving easier.

5. Sign fixed. There was an error in how the La Bar Condesa sign was previously colored - I corrected it.

6. Quality Improved. The quality of the picture improved by using a new saving technique - best seen when zoomed in - i.e. the number on the door on the building on the right is most apparent.

Here is my photo with the before and after mazes:


Some data: The new file is 1,280MB from 444MB.

I will be replacing the homepage with the new maze going forward. You can find the maze download there !

If you like this type of content check out all of my case studies:

A Collection of Maze Design Case Studies to Improve your Mazes

Happy maze-ing !

A Maze made of Straw Bales in Fargo, North Dakota

If you name something “The Great Straw Maze” it must be impressive, and from the photos and videos I have seen, it is ! Located at the West Acres Mall in Fargo, North Dakota the Great Straw Maze is (was) located in NE section the parking lot (near US Bank). It is made of 1,500 large straw bales that create walls 8 feet tall ! Compare 8 foot bales to the corn stalks in a corn maze which can be seen through. For this reason many people consider a straw bale maze more difficult than a corn maze.

The bad news is that this maze is now closed for the season, In 2024 it was open from August 30 to November 3. The mall also has events that involve the maze, so hopefully it will come back in 2025!

Here is a short video showing the straw bale maze from above, and it is impressive !

If you want to visit something more meditative I suggest you check out my post on 5 Labyrinths to visit in North/South Dakota which includes a labyrinth just 11 minutes drive from the mall !!

Similar posts you may like:

5 of the World's Largest Winter Mazes

The Best Public Labyrinths to Visit by US State

What I've Learned Making Mazes

Blog Photo by David J. Boozer: https://www.pexels.com/photo/hay-kid-maze-october-211452/