The Cathedral of St. Francis Xavier is the main Catholic church of Banská Bystrica, standing on the north side of Námestie SNP. The building began as a 14th-century Gothic church and was subsequently remodelled in the Baroque style, giving it a richly decorated interior at odds with the relatively plain exterior.
The cathedral serves as the seat of the Diocese of Banská Bystrica and is worth stepping into for the carved altars and the organ gallery. The adjacent Clock Tower, a Renaissance structure from the 16th century, is the most photogenic piece of architecture on the square.