Zagreb Cathedral, Zagreb (must see)

In 1093, king and warrior-saint Ladislaus I of Hungary moved the seat of a bishop from Sisak to Zagreb. He declared the church in Zagreb to be a cathedral. Reconstruction began at once and continued after the death of Ladislaus in 1095. The Zagreb Cathedral was consecrated by King Andrew II of Hungary in 1217.

The building was destroyed by Mongol invaders in 1242 and rebuilt shortly thereafter. The continuing threat of the Ottoman Empire prompted the structure of walls and a watchtower. The cathedral was rebuilt again after the earthquake of 1880. It was restored in its present Neo-Gothic form by Franco-German architect Hermann Bolle.

Dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the building, looming over the city, is the tallest in Croatia. On the main facade, the tympanum between the bell towers depicts the Virgin and Child and two angels. On both sides of the entry are statues of saints Methodius, George, Barbara, Catherine, Florian, and Cyril.

Above the doorway, the statue of Christ is flanked by the sainted kings Stephen and Ladislaus. Inside, the high altar portrays the Holy Family. Light from stained glass windows illuminate the tomb of the martyred Cardinal Aloysius Stepinac. There is a relief inside the cathedral by sculptor Ivan Mestrovic of the Cardinal with Christ.