The battle bridge
A memory of 1945.
Bahnfrend — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hd. Aisya — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Unknown authorUnknown author — Public domain
The heart of old Surabaya around the Red Bridge over the Kalimas River, where the Dutch era ran the port's trade. The bridge itself is plain, but it carries the memory of the 1945 Battle of Surabaya: near it the British commander Mallaby was killed, the incident that sparked the great battle. Around the bridge spreads the old town, revived with pavements, lighting and information boards and divided into quarters: the European quarter with large colonial buildings and old banks, the Chinese quarter with its temples and markets, the Arab quarter around Sunan Ampel Mosque, and the Malay quarter. Walking tours run here, sometimes with evening events. Wandering is free. It is hot at midday, so late afternoon and evening are better, when the buildings light up. Combine it with the nearby Heroes Monument on one walking route, then take a short taxi ride to the Arab quarter and Sunan Ampel Mosque for dinner.
A memory of 1945.
European, Chinese, Arab and Malay.
Old banks and mansions.
Jembatan Merah, north-central Surabaya
House of SampoernaAn elegant nineteenth-century colonial building in the old town, with a white fa10 minutes walk
Sunan Ampel Mosque and Arab QuarterOne of Java's oldest and holiest mosques, founded in the fifteenth century by Su11 minutes walk
Heroes Monument (Tugu Pahlawan) and 10 November MuseumSurabaya's best-known symbol, a white obelisk shaped like an inverted nail risin12 minutes walk
Muhammad Cheng Hoo MosqueA small, distinctive mosque built by Surabaya's Muslims of Chinese descent and o25 minutes walkYes, local groups run heritage tours of the old town, some free by heritage bus. Ask at your hotel or the tourist office.