Surakarta
Indonesia · Asia
About Surakarta
Surakarta (Javanese: ꦯꦸꦫꦏꦂꦠ, Pegon: سوراكارتا), known colloquially as Solo (Javanese: ꦱꦭ, romanized: Sålå), is a major city in Central Java, Indonesia. The 46.72 km2 (18.04 sq mi) city adjoins Karanganyar Regency and Boyolali Regency to the north, Karanganyar Regency and Sukoharjo Regency to the east and west, and Sukoharjo Regency to the south. On the eastern side of Solo flows Solo River (Bengawan Solo). Its metropolitan area, consisting of Surakarta City and the surrounding six regencies ("Greater Solo Area", formerly Special Region of Surakarta), was home to 6,837,753 inhabitants according to the official estimates for mid-2023, 526,870 of whom resideed in the city proper.
Surakarta is the birthplace of former President of Indonesia Joko Widodo, as well as his son and current Vice President of Indonesia, Gibran Rakabuming Raka. The former served as Mayor of Surakarta from 2005 to 2012, as did the latter from 2021 to 2024.
Hominid habitation in the region of Surakarta is evidenced from roughly one million years ago, the age of the "Java Man" skeleton found 80 kilometres upstream. Another famous early hominid from this area is called "Solo Man".
Surakarta travel guide
Understand
Most of the area in this region is formerly Surakarta Sunanate's territory.
Getting there
By plane The Surakarta area is served by Adi Soemarmo International Airport (SOC IATA) in Boyolali.
By train You may use electric multiple unit from Yogyakarta. The train run to schedule daily.
Getting around
By car Trans-Java Toll Road pass through some cities like Boyolali, Solo, and Sragen. The other cities connected by good provincial roads.
See
See kraton (Javanese palace) in Solo and a UNESCO World Heritage List, Sangiran early man site in Sragen, as well as ancient temples in Boyolali and Tawangmangu.
Do
Climb Mount Lawu through Tawangmangu and Mount Merbabu through Boyolali. Swimming in natural springs in Klaten. Strolling and jogging on dams around Sragen.
Eat
Javanese food is abundant in the area. You may eat mie ayam (chicken noodle soup), tongseng (spicy goat soup), and sate buntel (minced meat wrapped in fat satay).
Drink & nightlife
Because of Islamic dietary laws, most eating places do not offer alcohol, and only few licensed hotels and restaurants will offer national and international brands of beer and wines in Solo. You may drink fresh milk in many stalls in the city of Boyolali.
Go next
Kedu Northwest East Java Semarang Metropolitan Area Southern Mountainous Yogyakarta Special Region
Overview adapted from Wikipedia, travel guide fromWikivoyage (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.