Alte Residenz, Royal palace in Passau, Germany.

The Alte Residenz is a former prince-bishop palace in Passau with multiple floors and classical exterior walls. Inside are grand halls decorated with elaborate wall paintings, plasterwork, and period furniture on each level.

The oldest surviving element is a Romanesque door frame from 1180; the prince-bishops are documented as owners of the bishop's palace in 1188. The present structure dates mainly from the 15th to 17th centuries, with extensions in the second half of the 16th century by Leonard Uttner and Christoforo Canevale. The court chapel was secularised in 1803 and now serves as the district court's meeting hall.

The rooms show how prince-bishops lived and worked, with furniture and artworks reflecting their power and taste. You can see how religious authority and worldly rule were mixed into the decorations and room layouts.

The Alte Residenz stands in Passau's old town, directly opposite the cathedral. The Zengerhof wing along Zengergasse now houses the district court, and the former court chapel serves as its meeting room, so those rooms are not open as museum space. Visitors should check access to the upper-floor halls before planning a visit.

The oldest surviving element is a Romanesque door frame from 1180, predating the first documented mention of the prince-bishops as owners in 1188. The upper-floor halls carry stucco ceilings by the Carlone school (1685) and Giovanni Battista d'Allio (1720).