Abbess Ursula V Karl von Hohenbalken had the prince-bishop’s residence built above the north wing of the former early-Romanesque episcopal residence of 1035. The parlour is decorated with arolla pine panelling; the Hohenbalken coat of arms takes pride of place in the centre of the coffered ceiling. A colourful glazed ceramic-tile stove provides comfortable warmth whilst an elegant oriel window, with external painting and carving, offers a view onto the farmyard. The residence includes a bedroom with arolla pine panelling and a vaulted kitchen. There is also a drinking parlour, richly decorated with heraldic arms as well as portraits of the patron saints of convent dignitaries. In the stairwell, a devotional window opens towards the chapel of St. Nicholas.
Before the opening of the convent museum in the Planta Tower in 2003, guests were able to visit these rooms. They have now been restored and since 2012 they have been used by the Benedictines as a classroom for novices as well as for discussions and conventual chapters.
