Ansbach rewards a day of easy wandering. The unmissable sight is the Ansbach Residenz — the lavish baroque palace of the Margraves of Brandenburg-Ansbach, with 27 state rooms decorated in stucco, tapestries, and delftware. Behind the palace, the Hofgarten (court garden) is one of the finest baroque gardens in Bavaria, arranged in formal parterres with clipped hedges and a long orangery wing. The garden is where Kaspar Hauser was stabbed in 1833, and a monument near the pavilion marks the spot.
The old town is compact and pleasant. The main square holds the Markgraf-Georg-Brunnen fountain and is ringed by half-timbered and baroque townhouses. The twin churches of St. Gumbertus and St. Johannis are both worth entering — St. Gumbertus contains the tombs of the Hohenzollern margraves and an outstanding late Gothic choir. The Kaspar Hauser Monument stands on the Platzl, a small square a few minutes' walk from the palace.
The Gymnasium Carolinum, founded in 1528, is one of Germany's oldest secondary schools and its beautiful courtyard can be visited. In July the Rokoko-Festspiele fill the palace gardens with costume concerts and baroque music performances.