Changing of the Guard

When in Zagreb on weekends, make sure not to miss the attractive Changing of the Guard of Honour of the Cravat Regiment, which begins exactly at noon at St. Mark’s Square. Apart from enjoying an interesting ceremony in the beautiful setting of the Upper Town, this is another opportunity to get to know Zagreb’s history and learn something about Croatia’s important contribution to the fashion world.

Although the changing of the guard does not begin until noon, we recommend you make an earlier start and follow the guard members throughout the whole ceremony which begins with the honour company’s stroll from its headquarters at Dolac 2, in front of the Church of St. Mary, across Tkalčićeva Street, where they arrive around 11.40 a.m. Then they continue marching across the Bloody Bridge, up Radićeva Street, through the Stone Gate, and onto the Square of St. Mark, where they do the ceremonial line-up.

The changing of the guard begins exactly at noon with the preparation of the guards and arms inspection. Twelve soldiers partake in the ceremony, and take their places at St. Mark’s Square, the Square of Ban Josip Jelačić, and next to the statue of Our Lady at Kaptol. They are followed by gunsmiths, trumpeters, drummers, flag-bearers and their commander. This ceremony is a perfect opportunity for tourists to learn about Zagreb’s tradition.

The Croatian light cavalry regiment, which dates back to the 17th century, was characterized by extraordinary valour. Its trademark was a kerchief, which the soldiers wore around their necks tied into a knot. It later became a fashion accessory known for those who were the first to wear it – Croats whose Germanized name was Krobatten, and in France they were called Cravattes. When a Croatian regiment, the Royal Cravattes, was established within the French Royal Army in 1664, the necktie got its official acclaim of originality.

Apart from weekends, the changing of the guard, organized by the Zagreb Tourist Board and the Academia Cravatica, also takes place on two other specific dates: the Day of the City of Zagreb, on May 31st, and the Day of the Necktie, on October 18th.