Kota Tua, old Batavia
The Dutch East India Company's square, in the middle of a thirty-million megacity.
Duration
1 hr 30 min – 3 hrs
Best time
Late afternoon
Open
Every day
Entry price
Free
Kota Tua is what remains of Batavia, seat of the Dutch East India Company founded in 1619. Fatahillah square is its centre: a paved rectangle framed by the old city hall, the courthouse and the main warehouse, all now museums.
The district was left derelict for decades before a restoration begun in the 2000s, still uneven. The Kali Besar canal and the Kota Intan drawbridge, the only Dutch bridge still standing in Asia, are two streets away.
Getting there
Jakarta Kota station, terminus of the commuter rail line: the square is three minutes' walk from the exit.
Rules on site
The area empties out and is not advisable after dark, away from the square itself. The coloured bicycles hired on the square are charged by the quarter-hour — agree the price first.
