The city's heart
Five roads meet.
Elvinamonica — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Sabung.hamster aka Everyone Sinks Starco aka BxHxTxCx — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Muhammad Cordiaz — CC BY-SA 3.0
Semarang's central square, a broad lawn where five main roads meet, hence its name, the five-way junction. Malls and hotels surround it, and on its west side stands the great Baiturrahman Mosque, one of the city's best-known, so shopping, prayer and leisure meet here. In the evening the square becomes the liveliest place in town: families strolling, colourful light-covered pedal cars circling the field, and food stalls serving famous Semarang dishes such as lumpia, tahu gimbal and nasi ayam. On Sunday mornings the road closes to cars and fills with joggers. The square is free and always open, and stall food is cheap. Come in the evening, pray Maghrib at Baiturrahman Mosque, then stroll and taste the street food. Check a stall's halal status if unsure, though most are halal.
Five roads meet.
Lumpia and tahu gimbal.
Evening fun for kids.
Central Semarang, where five roads meet
Lumpia, fried spring rolls stuffed with bamboo shoots and the city's emblem, tahu gimbal with tofu and peanut sauce, and bandeng milkfish. You find them all around the square.
