Semarang

No reviews yetCity Central Java, Indonesia

Exterior of Blenduk Church, Semarang, 2014 06 18, Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia

Lawang Sewu in Semarang City, Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia

Indonesia View of Semarang, Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia

Semarang River (53804280), Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia

About Semarang

Semarang wears three centuries of trade on its sleeve. The capital of Central Java grew as a port on the north coast of the island, and the Dutch, Chinese, Arab and Javanese communities that met here left behind a remarkable mix: a colonial Old Town with a domed church, a Chinatown of incense-filled temples and a modern grand mosque with umbrellas that open like Medina's.

The city's most famous building, Lawang Sewu, was built in the early 20th century as the headquarters of a Dutch railway company and is known for its countless doors and windows. Across the roundabout, the Tugu Muda monument recalls the Battle of Five Days fought here in October 1945. Further south, Sam Poo Kong honors the Chinese admiral Zheng He, whose fleet is said to have landed on this coast in the early 15th century.

Semarang is also a food city, famous across Indonesia for lumpia spring rolls and bandeng presto milkfish. The hills rising behind it are cooler and greener, and the temples of Gedong Songo and the highlands of Ungaran make good escapes.

Best seasonMay to September, the drier months

Ideal stay2-3 days

ArrivingJenderal Ahmad Yani International Airport and Semarang Tawang railway station

Why People Love Semarang: 11 Things to Discover

Landmarks 2

Lawang Sewu

Its name means a thousand doors in Javanese, a nod to the many doors and tall windows of this grand colonial office built in the e...

Blenduk Church

At the center of the Old Town, this Protestant church dates back to the 18th century and is one of the oldest churches in Central...

Neighborhoods 3

Kota Lama Semarang

Semarang's colonial Old Town, sometimes called the Little Netherlands, is a compact grid of Dutch-era warehouses, offices and cana...

Kampung Pelangi Semarang

Once a run-down hillside neighborhood beside the Semarang River, Kampung Pelangi was transformed in 2017 when its houses, stairs a...

Simpang Lima Semarang

Five main roads meet at this broad central square, the social heart of modern Semarang, surrounded by malls, hotels and the Baitur...

Temples and Shrines 4

Sam Poo Kong

This colorful temple complex in the Simongan area honors Zheng He, the Ming dynasty admiral whose fleet is said to have landed on...

Great Mosque of Central Java

Completed in 2006, this huge mosque mixes Javanese, Arabic and Roman architectural styles and is famous for the giant retractable...

Tay Kak Sie Temple

On Gang Lombok in Semarang's Chinatown, this 18th-century Chinese temple is dedicated to Kwan Im, the goddess of mercy, and holds...

Buddhagaya Watugong Pagoda

On the southern edge of the city at Watugong, this Buddhist complex is crowned by a seven-tiered Avalokitesvara pagoda, its tiers...

History 1

Tugu Muda Monument

Rising from the roundabout in front of Lawang Sewu, this slender stone monument commemorates the Battle of Five Days in October 19...

Food and Drink 1

Lumpia Gang Lombok

Next to Tay Kak Sie temple, this small, long-running stall is one of the best-known places to try lumpia Semarang, the city's sign...

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Photo: Philip Nalangan, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

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