While Jl Pemuda, Semarang's premier boulevard in Dutch times, remains an important artery and shopping street, Simpang Lima is the sociable hub of modern Semarang. This grassy 'square' is surrounded by cinema complexes and modern malls. Crowds congregate here in the evenings and wander past shops displaying consumer items that remain beyond the reach of many, though this doesn't seem to dent their enthusiasm for the bright lights of the big city.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
1.57 MILES
Semarang’s atmospheric old quarter, often referred to by its Dutch name, the Outstadt, is well worth investigating. Until recently, most of the area’s…
18.97 MILES
Fans of vintage railways will love this museum, located in the premises of the old Koening Willem I station, a couple of kilometres outside of town on the…
1.73 MILES
This huge Chinese temple complex, 5km southwest of the city centre, comprises three main temple buildings and many smaller structures that date back to…
16.24 MILES
Demak’s venerable Mesjid Agung (circa 1466), notable for its triple-tiered roof, is Java's oldest mosque and one of the archipelago’s foremost Muslim…
0.95 MILES
Semarang's most famous landmark, Lawang Sewu ('Thousand Doors'), comprises two colossal colonial buildings that were one of the headquarters of the…
1.15 MILES
Semarang’s Chinatown is well worth investigating, particularly around the riverside Gang Lombok. With temples, pagodas, shop houses, jade jewellers,…
2.71 MILES
This large provincial museum houses an interesting collection of antiquities, crafts including batik and wayang puppets, and assorted fossils and curios…
3.02 MILES
This factory, near the bus terminal, is one of two outlets in Semarang that produces jamu, a herbal medicine that has been highly sought-after for…
Nearby Semarang attractions
0.95 MILES
Semarang's most famous landmark, Lawang Sewu ('Thousand Doors'), comprises two colossal colonial buildings that were one of the headquarters of the…
1.15 MILES
Semarang’s Chinatown is well worth investigating, particularly around the riverside Gang Lombok. With temples, pagodas, shop houses, jade jewellers,…
1.19 MILES
This brightly painted temple, with its elaborate tiled roofs decorated with dragons, dates back to 1746 and remains an active place of worship. Two…
1.23 MILES
Facing the Pasar Johar market, Semarang's Grand Mosque is the main, although obviously far from the only, focus of worship in the city.
1.55 MILES
Built in 1753, this elegant church is graced with a huge cupola and marks the centre of the old colonial quarter of Semarang. The interior sports a…
1.57 MILES
Semarang’s atmospheric old quarter, often referred to by its Dutch name, the Outstadt, is well worth investigating. Until recently, most of the area’s…
1.66 MILES
In the middle of the old quarter, this wonderful art gallery occupies an old Dutch warehouse and is dedicated to Indonesian contemporary art. Some of the…
1.73 MILES
This huge Chinese temple complex, 5km southwest of the city centre, comprises three main temple buildings and many smaller structures that date back to…