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City in Central Java, Indonesia
Photo: Amelia guo, CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Solo the short name for Surakarta, is a major city in Central Java. Together with Yogyakarta, these two great cultural centres are heirs of the Mataram kingdom that was split in 1755. Both centres are good bases for trips to nearby UNESCO World Heritage sites like the temple complexes of Borobudur and Prambanan.
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Alun-alun lor
Large open field associated with the royal palace. A favourite place for walking, jogging, hanging out during free time. Usually has food stalls. Best times of the day are early morning, late afternoon or in the evening.
Karaton Surakarta Hadiningrat
Palace of the Pakubuwono Kings. A large and beautiful palace built in 1675 that combines traditional Javanese and classical European styles. Facility: museum, art and cultural centre.
Alun-alun kidul
the King's ground. Closed for renovation until further notice at May 2024.
Palace's museum
Palace of the Mangkunegara Princes. A beautiful palace built in 1757 with an awe-inspiring main audience hall. Facility: museum, art and cultural centre.
Danar Hadi batik museum
The 10,000-piece collection of batik magnate Santosa Doellah, the owner of Batik Danar Hadi, said to be the biggest in Indonesia. A variety of batik from different cultural influences and periods: Javanese, Chinese, Indian and colonial Dutch. An interesting piece is the Dutch-influenced "Snow White" and "Little Red Riding Hood" batik, which depict fairytale scenes. Adjacent is a batik shop and the Soga Café. Behind the museum is a workshop where you can see the process of batik making from start to finish. The building is a 19th century mansion of a Javanese noble family, called Ndalem Wuryaningratan with an architectural style that combines traditional Javanese and classical European styles. About an hour visit. Photos/videos not allowed.
Monumen Pers Nasional
A monument and museum to the national Indonesian press. Formally established in 1978, more than 20 years after it was first proposed, the complex consists of an old society building, which was constructed in 1918 and used for the first meeting of the Reporters Association of Indonesia (Persatuan Wartawan Indonesia, or PWI), as well as several subsequent expansions; it is listed as a Cultural Property of Indonesia. The National Press Monument has a collection of over a million newspapers and magazines, as well as a variety of exhibitions and artefacts related to the history of the press in Indonesia. Facilities include a multimedia room, free-to-read newspapers, and a library.
Various cultural and historical artifacts including Hindu-Buddhist sculptures, wayang kulit (leather puppet), kris (Javanese daggers) and old texts.
Museum Purbakala Sangiran
The museum is very clean, luxurious, modern, air-conditioned, and professionally built. The area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an archeological treasure trove of fossils and remnants from the prehistoric era. The most important discovery however was the skeleton of the Java Man (Pithecanthropus erectus) an important predecessor of the modern human. The site contains a museum housing the archaeological finds as well as an archaeological park.
Colomadu Sugar Factory
This sugar factory was built in 1861 and was turned into a museum in 2018 after 20 years of neglect. The museum contains old machines used to process sugarcane into sugar.
Benteng Vastenburg
An 18th-century Dutch fort. It is a square shaped fort with four bastions, surrounded by 6 meter high bearing wall and dry moat. The main function of the fort was to house the resident (colonial administrator) and the Dutch East Indies garrison for the region of Central Java. Closed until further notice at May 2024.
Villa Park Banjarsari
This park was a horse racing ground. The area surrounding the park was turned into villas for Dutch plantation workers. Monumen 45 was built on November 10, 1976 on the park grounds to commemorate the Four-Day General Assault which happened on the park from August 7 to August 10, 1949.
Wihara Sudiroprajan, Klenteng Sudiroprajan, Vihara Avalokiteśvara
Temple combining elements of Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism (sometimes known as tridharma), built in 1745.
Solo Grand Mosque
The royal mosque of the Surakarta Sunanate. It was built by Sunan Pakubuwono III in 1763.
Pura Sonosewu
A new Javanese Hindu temple and Kundalini yoga centre with 50 miniatures of sacred sites from around the world. Offers Ganesha fire meditation M and Th at 17:00.
Watch classical Javanese theatre in the form of shadow play wayang kulit or wayang wong performed by actors on a stage at this amusement park. Tales from the Hindu epics, the Ramayana and Mahabharata, accompanied by a live gamelan orchestra. Also has a children's playground and a food court serving Javanese food.
Jurug Zoo
Facility: zoo, aquarium.
Balekambang Park
Closed until further notice at May 2024.
Street of food vendors. Hundreds of tables under umbrellas. Closed if raining. Orders are placed with the food vendor and they bring it to your table.
Good food and reasonable price. Try the guava juice.
Branch of famous restaurant in Semarang
Bakmi Jawa are fried or soupy noodles found across Java. Traditionally cooked on a charcoal stove (anglo) to give it the distinctive taste.
Try Sate buntel, a type of satay made from minced mutton wrapped in goat fat and then grilled. Originating from Solo.
Timlo is made from seasoned chicken liver, eggs and fried pastry with meat filling (sosis Jawa).
Go early for dinner. It can be full by 19:00.
Gudang Ceker
Gudeg is worth a try in Solo, even though the gudeg of Jogja is acclaimed as being the original and best. Gudeg from Jogja is considered drier and sweet, while that from Solo is saltier with more sauce. This one is very popular and often crowded.
Mrs Lidia's Serabi Notosuman
Serabi are pancakes made from rice flour and coconut milk. Extremely popular as oleh-oleh carry-home gifts, but are much better eaten warm from the shop. There are many versions including with chocolate sprinkles. This is the original shop for this brand, but there are branches across Central Java and beyond.
Mie toprak is a specialty noodle dish from Solo.
A specialty dish of Solo, selat Solo, veggies, meat, and egg in gravy.
Eat some traditional Solo food such as cabuk rambak, rice cake with special sauce and crackers, also brambang asem kangkung, water spinach dish with gembus (Javanese tofu dregs).
In the House of Danar Hadi complex. This is a proper casual dining restaurant, the cuisine offered is a blend of traditional Javanese as well as some western/Dutch colonial cuisine. Dishes are presented elegantly and the atmosphere is grand and cosy, with colonial antiques and batik decorating the interior as well as TVs. Live piano and music every night. An alternative to the street food culture prevalent in Solo. The food is moderately priced and delicious,
Wood-fired pizza.
Hotel Syariah Arini Solo
18 room homestay minutes from the public bus station. Standard, deluxe and suite in Solonese architectural style. Very friendly staff.
A few minutes from the airport. A/C, TV, hot/cold water, and free wifi.
Cable TV, kitchen with cooking appliances and family rooms.
19 rooms and suites. 20 min to the airport, 15 minutes to Balapan train station or Tertonadi bus station.
3 star.
4 star. Business centre, meeting rooms and a ballroom. Outdoor swimming pool and fitness centre, massage therapy and a restaurant and bar. Close to shopping centres, traditional markets, buses and trains close by.
3 star.
The region's first green boutique hotel steeped in modern minimalist style. Winner of the ASEAN award for energy efficiency. Has a no smoking/no noise/no food policy in the elevated pendopo on the roof with soft teak floor, for use as a meditation space, for yoga practice or relaxing.
4 star.
4 star. Next to Mangkunegaran Palace.
previously the Quality Inn Solo
4 star with coffee shop, meeting room, music room, fitness centre, and Japanese restaurant. 5 km from the Pasar Klewer, 15 minutes from the airport and five minutes from Balapan station. Business, conference and banqueting facilities. 127 rooms including a presidential suite, two suites, eight junior suites, 14 executive business rooms and 102 deluxe rooms.
5-star hotel and the tallest building in Solo.
27 standard and 10 deluxe rooms, free airport transfer, spa, free wi-fi in the lobby and restaurant, business centre, meeting rooms.
A 5-star hotel close to the airport. Spa.
Bijou boutique hotel in a former wealthy batik merchant's house, built in 1938, in the Laweyan batik district. Set behind walls on a busy road, the splash of fountains helps to deaden the noise of traffic.
Klewer Market
A traditional market for textiles, mostly batik. Make sure to haggle.
Solo Wholesale Centre
5-stories of clothing and batik at competitive prices.
The batik products of Kauman village are made from natural silk and weaving silk materials, and premmisima cotton.
Triwindu Market
Slightly overpriced, but you can find some pretty interesting things here.
A popular antique market in Solo. Beware of counterfeits but, if you look carefully, you might find an item from the palace.
Pasar Gede Harjonagoro
In contrast to some wet markets, this one is quite dry underfoot, and the smell isn't too bad. Great for browsing, to see the variety of goods and foodstuffs that are traded. The building was designed by Thomas Karsten and opened in 1930. Look out for roasted cashewnuts at good prices. If going by taxi or bécak, ask for (PAH-sar GUH-day). You can continue your sightseeing at the Tien Kok Sie Chinese temple on the southern side of the market.
Including Hotel and Apartment
By train
Surakarta is almost midway between Jakarta in the west, Yogyakarta in the south, and Surabaya in the east.5 hours.
By bus
From Jepara, multiple companies have minibus to Solo like Bejeu and Rimbaraya. about Rp 120,000, 5h duration, multiple times a day but if after ferry, only departure around 17:45.
By car or motorcycle
By ride-hailing app
Go-jek and Grab are all active in Solo. It is worth getting an Indonesian SIM card with data, to allow you to use the apps.
By taxi
Taxis are cheap, and you can book for the whole trip. You can negotiate for the price. Ask at your hotel reception if they can arrange one for you.
By bus
The Batik Solo Trans (BST) bus network is subsidized by the local government, and is the cheapest transport in town, Rp 4,500. There are eight corridors.
By car
Driving in Indonesia is rarely rewarding, especially in Java. Either opt with a taxi or rent a driver to easily navigate within the city.
By becak, ojek and andong
These pedicabs, motorcycle taxis and horse-drawn carriages are found across the city, and used for short journeys. Becaks and andongs are also popular for leisure jaunts.
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Surakarta · International · SOC
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