The Blühendes Barock (Blooming Baroque) is the 30-hectare garden complex surrounding the Residenzschloss. It combines a strictly formal baroque parterre on the north terrace, an English-style landscape park, themed flower gardens, and the unusual Märchengarten (Fairy-Tale Garden) at the far end. The combination shouldn't quite work and somehow does, especially in May and June when the floral plantings are at their peak.
The fairy-tale garden is more interesting than it sounds. Mechanical wooden tableaux from the 1950s act out scenes from Grimm — Rapunzel lets down her hair, the seven dwarfs march past, the witch's gingerbread house creaks open. Children adore it; adults find the period craft surprisingly charming. Elsewhere in the gardens, the South Garden has rose collections, the Aviary has tropical birds in heated houses, and a small playground keeps families busy. The whole complex is paid entry, open mid-March to early November.