Kathedrale Hl. Sava

The Cathedral of St Sava stands in the quiet district of Lichtenbroich, a short bus ride from Düsseldorf’s international airport. It is the main church of the Serbian Orthodox diocese covering Frankfurt and all Germany, dedicated to the 13th-century Serbian archbishop and national hero. The building was raised on land given free by the local Protestant church after the Second World War, with money collected over decades by worshippers across the Rhine-Ruhr region.

Inside, the walls and dome are covered with vivid frescoes in the Byzantine manner by Professor Miroslav Lakovic from Belgrade. A vast bronze chandelier hangs above the nave, its twelve branches holding painted images of the apostles. The church also contains a smaller chapel of St George the New Martyr, built in 2007, where weekday services are now held to protect the main frescoes from candle smoke.

The cathedral is set among low-rise houses and tree-lined streets, its red-brick walls and copper roof visible from the bus stop. Visitors step into a cool, candle-lit interior where the scent of incense mixes with the quiet chanting of worshippers. The contrast between the busy airport nearby and the calm of the sanctuary is striking.