Cathedral of Christ the Saviour

The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour is one of the most important Orthodox churches in Banja Luka, in the very centre of the city. It stands on the site of the former Church of the Holy Trinity, built between the world wars (1925–1929) and consecrated on Ascension Day in 1939. The church, however, met a harsh fate: it was badly damaged in 1941 and then completely demolished during the occupation.

For decades its rebuilding was not permitted, and a monument to fallen soldiers stood on the site. Only in the early 1990s was reconstruction approved, and in 1993 its foundations were consecrated by Serbian Patriarch Pavle. The church was rebuilt under the name Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, since another Banja Luka church had meanwhile taken the Holy Trinity name. Today this magnificent cathedral is the spiritual centre of the city and a powerful symbol of renewal and endurance.