Cathedral of the Heart of Jesus

The Sacred Heart Cathedral, also known as the Sarajevo Cathedral, is the largest cathedral in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the seat of the Vrhbosna Archdiocese. It stands in the heart of the Old Town, on Fra Grge Martića Square. Built between 1884 and 1889 to the design of Josip Vancaš, it skilfully blends Romanesque and Gothic elements into an original building. Its façade has two slender bell towers over forty metres high, a lavish rose window and a statue of the Sacred Heart above the entrance.

The richly painted interior holds frescoes by the painter Alexander Maximilian Seitz. The building was initiated by Archbishop Josip Stadler, whose tomb lies within the cathedral. In front of the church stands a monument to Pope John Paul II, who visited Sarajevo in 1997. Today it is one of the city's symbols and an essential stop on any walk through central Sarajevo.