Explore Kota Tua: Here’s What You Can Do — Kota Tua or Fatahillah Square is one of the most famous tourist spots in Jakarta. Be ready to be taken back to the 17th century surrounded by Dutch structures and museums in reminisce of the Batavia era. There are a lot of activities you can do during your visit to Kota Tua, you probably need the whole day to explore every nook and cranny here. Here are some things you can do during your visit to Kota Tua.
Fatahillah Square
Right in front of the Museum Fatahillah is the Fatahillah Square. Immerse yourself in the architecture of the old Batavia during the Dutch colonialization era. Right here is where the VOC administration centre is, where they used to trade spices and cargos to be shipped back to Europe and the Netherlands.
You can rent some colourful bikes here, called Sepeda Ontel to stroll around the area and take beautiful pictures here. For you who want to go for a culinary adventure, Kota Tua has a lot of cheap street vendors selling traditional Indonesian street snacks or you can fine-dining in Café Batavia.
Café Batavia
Still, in the Fatahillah Square area, you’ll find a café inside an old building. This building is built in the 1830s and served authentic Dutch East India cuisines with an ambiance you won’t get anywhere else in Jakarta! It’s a two-story restaurant with a bar on the lower floor and a large dining hall containing up to 150 guests on the second. Occasionally, you’ll be able to hear live music while enjoying delicious cuisines.
Museums
The buildings you see around Kota Tua are not just for a show or photo spots rather, some have been transformed into museums. Additionally, most museums have free admission! You can learn the history of Jakarta in the Fatahillah Museum. Other than that, there are other museums like the Wayang Museum, the Fine Arts and Ceramic Museum, Bank Mandiri Museum, Bank Indonesia Museum, and more! For more information about the museums in Kota Tua, make sure to check us out here!
Kota Post Office and Art Gallery
While the place serves as a usual post office, it also has a contemporary art gallery in it. The history behind this building was that it was designed based on Nieuwe Zakelijkheid. An early modern style that was popular in the Netherlands and Dutch East Indies at the end of 1920. It was designed by Ir. R. Baumgartner in 1929 with a slight modification to adapt to Indonesia’s tropical climate that allowing better air circulation into the building.
Toko Merah
This particular building will captivate your eyes with its red walls. Toko Merah or the Red Shop is not open to the public but it is one of the most popular photo spots in Kota Tua. It’s believed that the Toko Merah building is the oldest building in Kota Tua as it was built in 1730. It used to be the house of Baron van Imhoff, the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies. The building has gone through numerous purposes from a bank, and naval academy to hotel and offices before it was purchased by Oey Liauw Kong in 1851.
Sunda Kelapa Port
As we mentioned in our previous post, Kota Tua and Sunda Kelapa Port is close to each other. This harbour used to be the main port for the Sunda Kingdom and only accommodate pinisi boats that serve as an inter-island freight service. It might not be as crowded as it used to be in the past but this area also serves as a historical site with different architecture and places that you can visit like the Maritime Museum and the Tower of the Harbor Master.
Unsure where to spend your weekend? Make sure to visit Kota Tua! Which museums intrigued you the most? For more Indonesian guides, make sure to check us out here!
