The changing of the guards of the Kravat regiment on St. Mark’s square.

As of mid-July, Zagreb has its honour guard; the brave Kravat regiment, which will present its customs to tourists every Saturday and Sunday, starting at noon. The two hour ceremony of the changing of the guards and a subsequent patrol of the town are complemented by stories about the advent of the cravat, originally invented by the soldiers of this famous regiment in the 17th century.

Anyone interested in the changing of the honour guard of the Kravat regiment can witness this spectacle every Saturday and Sunday around noon in the city centre. The Kravat regiment invented the cravat; the world-famous necktie, which is nowadays a greatly popular male fashion accessory across the globe.

The Zagreb Tourist Board and the Academia Cravatica institution have teamed up and devised a new tourist program; the changing of the honour guard, which consists of a company of the Kravat regiment. It is the regiment of the Croatian light cavalry from the 17th century, which, apart from the exquisite bravery of its men, distinguished itself by its uniform, specifically, the colourful scarves worn around the neck by the soldiers who gave it its name. This scarf, tied in a knot, quickly became a popular fashion accessory, already known by the ethnic name of Croats; the Germans called them Krobatten, and the French Cravates. In 1664, when the Croatian regiment Royal Cravattes was established as part of the French Royal Army, the tie officially got its seal of originality. These and many other similar stories can be heard if one visits the Upper Town during the weekend, twenty minutes before noon.

Before the changing of the guard, there will be a patrol by the honour guard unit from its headquarters at Dolac 2 (by St. Mary’s Church), across Tkalčićeva street where they will arrive around 11.40 a.m., further on by the Bloody Bridge, via Radićeva street and the Stone Gate, and finally onto the square of St. Mark, where they will perform a ceremonial line-up.

Each changing of the guard begins with the attractive ceremony of the preparation of the guard and weapons check. Taking part in the ceremony is an entire unit of 12 soldiers, which is subsequently redistributed into prearranged positions: the square of St. Mark (the side entrance to St. Mark’s church), the square of ban Josip Jelačić, and the statue of Her Lady at Kaptol. They are accompanied by armourers, trumpeters, drummers, flag bearers, and a commander. Therefore, the entire programme gives tourists an insight into the forgotten tradition of soldiers from our glorious past. The official change of the guard begins exactly at noon, right after the famous firing of the cannon from Lotrščak tower, and it ends at around 2 p.m.
The programme will take place every Saturday and Sunday until October 31st.