To understand the life and traditions of the nation, it is not enough to walk through the streets of their city, visit the local history museum or try the national cuisine in cozy local restaurants. You need to look into the very heart, hear the whispers of its soul and understand its faith and religion. And let it be a Buddhist temple, a Muslim mosque, or a Catholic cathedral. You can learn about the history and culture of believers only by visiting places of worship.

The Cathedral of Saint John of Nepomuk is located in the historic center of Zrenjanin, on its main square named Freedom. This functioning Catholic cathedral with a high tower was built in the neo-Romanesque style in 1868 on the site of an old stone church. Its construction began in 1864 thanks to the funds of the Austrian treasury and the generous donations of Bishop Sandor Bonnaz and lasted 4 years. In the same year, the cathedral was consecrated and named after the Czech priest and martyr Saint John of Nepomuk.

The interior of the cathedral impresses with its beauty and grandeur. Its interior is adorned with three well-preserved ancient altars. The images of Saint John of Nepomuk in the center of the main altar and the Blessed Virgin Mary in one of the side altars was painted by the Hungarian artist Bertalan Szekely. The second side altar is decorated with the image of Saint James, the work of another famous artist August Mantler.

All the other frescoes depicting biblical scenes on the shrine walls were painted by local master Jozsef Goygner: the image of the Holy Trinity, how Jesus Christ preaches and blesses people in the Garden of Gethsemane, the scene of the Ascension of the Virgin Mary, as well as the image of David the Psalmist with a harp surrounded by heavenly angels. A cathedral’s particular pride is the organ, made and brought from the Romanian city of Timisoara in 1907. Its great sound can still be appreciated today.