Bjelovar Cathedral

Bjelovar Cathedral, officially the Cathedral of St. Teresa of Avila, is the main church of Bjelovar, the central town of Bjelovar-Bilogora County in northern Croatia, and it rises over the large central square, Trg Eugena Kvaternika, in a setting of lawns and trees. The town itself was founded in the middle of the 18th century by the Habsburg authorities as a fortress and administrative centre of the Military Frontier, and its streets were laid out in a regular plan. The church was among its first major buildings. It was constructed in the years around 1765 to 1770 in the Baroque style, with a broad façade and a tall bell tower, and it was blessed in 1772 on the feast day of its patron, St. Teresa of Avila, which falls on 15 October. The dedication honours the Spanish mystic and reformer of the Carmelite order, who is one of the best-known saints of the 16th century.

For more than two centuries it was a parish church, and in 2009, when the Diocese of Bjelovar-Križevci was established, it was raised to the rank of cathedral. It can hold about a thousand worshippers, which tells you how large the congregation was in a town that grew as a garrison and market centre. Beneath the building lie burial corridors, though only a few people have been laid to rest there. The church was damaged in the Zagreb earthquake of 1880, which struck much of northern Croatia, and the architect Hermann Bollé, who restored many buildings in the country, directed major repairs in 1888, followed by interior work in 1896. These renovations added elements of the historicist style of the late 19th century to the older Baroque body.

The interior is bright and spacious, with a high nave, painted ceilings and carefully preserved furnishings, including altars, pulpit and pews that date from different periods. The atmosphere is calm, and it is a good place to rest from the heat. The cathedral is open throughout the day and all year, and visitors are welcome outside services, although they should dress modestly, speak quietly and avoid disturbing worshippers. Most people spend less than an hour here.

The cathedral is part of a group of sights on and around the main square. The Music Pavilion, a landmark of pale stone in the park, the Memorial of Barutana and the Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity are all within walking distance, and the town has cafés and restaurants around the square. The surrounding Bilogora hills offer vineyards, small lakes and quiet roads for cycling and walking.

The cathedral suits architecture lovers, history enthusiasts and travellers who like to stop in towns off the main tourist routes. Combine it with a coffee on the square and a stroll through the park.