Old Batavia
The Dutch headquarters in Asia.
Chainwit. — CC BY 4.0 · Christophe95 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Christophe95 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Aisha Tanduk — CC BY-SA 4.0
Jakarta's historic heart, the town called Batavia when the Dutch East India Company made it its Asian headquarters in the seventeenth century, in the days of the spice trade. Old white Dutch buildings stand around cobbled Fatahillah Square, named after the commander who took the town from the Portuguese in the sixteenth century. At the head of the square the old town hall is now the Jakarta History Museum, telling the city's story from prehistory to modern times, with old dungeons underground. Around the square stand the Wayang puppet museum, the Fine Art and Ceramics Museum, the old post office and the famous Café Batavia. Old colourful bicycles and decorated hats are rented out on the square for rides and photographs. Wandering the square and quarter is free and always possible, while the museums have token tickets and usually close on Mondays. The square fills with families, vendors and performers in the evenings and at weekends. Come in the morning or late afternoon to avoid the midday heat, and combine it with the nearby Sunda Kelapa harbour and Maritime Museum. It is about half an hour from central Jakarta, and commuter trains reach the adjacent Jakarta Kota station.
The Dutch headquarters in Asia.
In the old town hall.
Rides and photos on the square.
Fatahillah Square, North Jakarta
Two to three hours for the square, the history museum and the Wayang Museum, more with Sunda Kelapa harbour. Mornings suit best, as the museums are cool and the square exposed.
