Kota Tua (Old Batavia)

Kota Tua Jakarta

The old city of Batavia, headquarters of the Dutch East India Company. The colonial buildings around Fatahillah Square now house history, shadow puppet and ceramics museums, and riding a colorful bicycle and posing with street performers is the signature experience.

Kota Tua (Old Town) was the core of Batavia, the 17th-century headquarters of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). Covering about 1.3 square kilometers, its heart is Fatahillah Square (Taman Fatahillah). On the south side, Batavia City Hall, completed in 1710, now houses the Jakarta History Museum, with a model of the old town, Dutch furniture and an underground water dungeon. On the west side, the Wayang Museum holds Javanese shadow puppets and wooden puppets. On the east side is the Fine Arts and Ceramics Museum. On the north side, Café Batavia is a retro café in a house rebuilt in the 1830s, a good spot for a drink while watching the square. Colorful vintage bicycles and straw hats can be rented on the square for about Rp 20,000 per half hour, and street performers dressed as Dutch soldiers or 'ghosts' pose for photos. The area can be extended in several directions. A 10-minute walk north brings you to the old Sunda Kelapa harbor and the Maritime Museum. To the south is Glodok, Jakarta's Chinatown, with Petak Sembilan Market, Jinde Yuan Temple and street food. To the west, Kota railway station is itself an Art Deco building from 1929. Museum tickets cost about Rp 5,000–10,000 each, and the museums are closed on Mondays. Tips: come after 3 p.m., visit one or two museums, ride a bike and take photos on the square, then have dinner at Café Batavia or in Chinatown. Allow 2–3 hours in total. Getting there: Transjakarta Line 1 to the Kota stop, or the commuter line to Jakarta Kota station; both are right at the exit. The MRT northern extension is not yet open. Note: some derelict buildings remain around the square, so avoid deep into the side alleys after 8 p.m. Watch your belongings on crowded weekends. The square tends to flood in the rainy season.

Kota Tua (Old Batavia)

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