Maribor Cathedral

Maribor Cathedral, dedicated to St John the Baptist, stands on Slomškov trg, a square in the old town named after Anton Martin Slomšek, the most important bishop in the history of the city and one of the most revered figures in the Slovene church. It is a large church, whose long nave and tall tower have a Gothic appearance, though its origins go back to the Romanesque period, and it has been altered, extended and restored over the centuries. The oldest parts are medieval, the vaulting and much of the exterior are Gothic, and the interior contains Baroque and later fittings, so that the building reads as a layered history of the town's worship.

The cathedral's significance in recent history comes from Slomšek. He was the bishop of the Lavant diocese, which had its seat in Carinthia, and in 1859, he moved the seat to Maribor, so that the church became a cathedral and the town the centre of a bishopric, a status it holds today as the seat of an archdiocese. Slomšek was a priest, a writer, an educator and a patriot, who wrote in Slovene when many other educated people preferred German and who promoted schools, books and the cultural life of the Slovene people, and he is remembered for his poems and prayers for children. He was beatified in 1999 by Pope John Paul II in a ceremony held in Maribor, and his remains lie in the cathedral, where pilgrims come to pray at his tomb.

The bell tower is a distinct attraction. It was used for centuries as a lookout, with a watchman who kept an eye out for fires and other dangers over the roofs of the old town, and the post continued until the early twentieth century. After restoration, it reopened to visitors, who can climb a long flight of steps to a viewing platform and see the old town, the Drava and the hills beyond. On the way up, an exhibition in the watchman's room shows how the fire watcher lived and worked. The tower is not open all the time, and its opening depends on the season and the weather, so it is wise to check before going, and it may be closed in rain or wind for safety reasons. Entry often works on the basis of a voluntary donation.

The cathedral is close to many of the city's sights. Maribor Castle and Freedom Square Maribor are a few minutes' walk away, the Lent district and the Drava River Promenade are down the slope, and the Beautiful architecture, Historic Sites, Cultural Tours, Maribor Art Gallery, Judgement Tower and Calvary Hill (Kalvarija) are all within reach, along with places to eat such as Kavarna HiKoFi and MAK Restaurant. Visitors should dress respectfully for the church.