Sacred Heart Cathedral, Sarajevo Church

Address: Franjevačka 21, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Hours: Typically open for services and limited visiting hours (check local parish listings)

Admission: No regular admission for exterior; Mass times and certain guided visits may have donations or small fees

The Sacred Heart Cathedral in Sarajevo is the main Roman Catholic cathedral of the city and the principal church of the Archdiocese of Vrhbosna. It was constructed in the late 19th century and is notable as Sarajevo’s largest Catholic place of worship.

The building is executed in historicist neo-Gothic forms with a Latin-cross plan, stained glass windows and prominent twin towers. The interior contains liturgical furnishings and decorative programs typical of a late 19th-century cathedral.

Designed by the architect Josip Vancaš and built in the final decades of the 19th century, the cathedral served the Catholic population of Sarajevo throughout Austro-Hungarian rule and into the 20th century, remaining an active parish and diocesan church. It has been maintained as a central religious and cultural landmark in the city.

Located in the historic centre of Sarajevo, the cathedral stands in the civic and religious heart of the city and is accessible from the main pedestrian axes of the old town.

• Status: Seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vrhbosna and the largest Catholic church in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The cathedral sits just north of Baščaršija (the Old Bazaar). From the main square of Baščaršija it is a 5-10 minute walk. Sarajevo’s central bus stops and the tram network serve the nearby streets; most visitors walk between major downtown sites.

• Arrive for an organ recital or Mass to hear the cathedral's acoustics at full effect.
• Notice the decorative Stations of the Cross and the stained glass windows-some were produced in Munich in the late 19th century.
• The cathedral is in a busy part of Sarajevo; pair the visit with a walk through Bascarsija to witness the city's cultural contrasts.