August 4, 2019 – As many head to the coast for the summer holidays, the towns of continental Croatia are a little emptier than usual, offering idyllic relaxation over morning coffee in places such as Varazdin.
The Croatian coast is the place to be once the school holidays begin, and tens of thousands of Croatians have already decamped to the coast from Zagreb and other inland towns and villages.
But what is it like to spend the summer in continental Croatia, away from the coast?
This is my first experience, and I have to say, I love it. After a month on the coast, mostly on Hvar, but also Korcula, Dubrovnik and Montenegro, I decided to leave my girls to the beach and their loving mum and grandparents. While I was having a lot of fun, I was not getting much work done. And the prospect of getting home to my village in Varazdin with no distractions became to appealing to ignore. It has been a great decision.
And it allowed me to witness moments like this.
I had to pop into town for a couple of chores yesterday, and it turned out that my timing was perfect, as it coincided with the changing of the city guard.
It was a glorious day, so I joined the locals and sat for a coffee to take in this ancient tradition and enjoy the magic of the main square.
And my focus quickly turned to the little drummer boy who was following the Purgari guards – isn’t he cute?
As befits the former capital of Croatia, Varazdin has for the past two and a half centuries been watched over by the Varazdin Civil Guard. They were recognised by the Austrian Empress Maria Theresa in a statute of 1750. It is an honour to be a member of the Varazdin Civil Guard. A member can only be a man born in Varazdin who is proud of its honour and irreproachably honest. In their blue grenadier uniforms and tall fur hats, these handsome ‘Purgari’ play a part in many secular and religious events. However, the most attractive aspect of the ‘Purgari’ is the ceremonial changing of the guard, which is staged most Saturdays in front of the Varazdin City Hall. The company had its own orchestra and flag, and the ‘Kume’ (‘Godmothers’) of the flags were prominent figures from the ranks of high nobility or the royal house. Therefore, the ‘Kuma’ of the last Purgar’s flag from 1998 was Francesca von Habsburg. From 15th May to the 15th October, the Guard parade takes place every Saturday from 11.00 a.m. to 12.00 p.m. in front of the City Hall.
In 2017, the Varazdin Purgari were added to the UNESCO List of Intangible Heritage.
Learn more about Varazdin in our Total Croatia Varazdin in a Page guide. Gorgeous town.
