5 Great Tourist Cite In Solo City That Must Include In Your Trip List

Surakarta city, or you might be more familiar with Solo city, is located in Central Java Province, beside Yogyakarta. Famously, Solo city is called as “the city of culture” or some people said that “If you want to feel Javanese traditional culture, come to Solo city! You can find everything about Java”.

That’s right! Solo city is one of the “ancient city” in Indonesia that still have strong Javanese culture among community’s daily life. That’s why most of travelers, either from domestic or overseas, they’d like to visit Solo city to “feel Javanese culture” and find out why Solo city is special.

Meanwhile, Solo city might don't have symbolic place like Candi Borobudur in their neighbor city, Yogyakarta, but I think you should visit Solo city because Solo city have unique and cool places that worth to visit.

Here’s 5 places in Solo that I recommend to you to include in your trip list or travel wish list:

1.Keraton Kasunan Surakarta Hadiningrat

Keraton Kasunan Surakarta Hadiningrat is actually a palace for Surakarta Sunanate (Javanese monarchy) which located in the middle of Surakarta / Solo city. Surakarta Sunanate is successor of Mataram Kingdom which divided into two side, another one is Yogyakarta Sunanate. Keraton Kasunan Surakarta established by Pakubuwono II in 1744. Actually, until today Keraton Kasunan Surakarta is the home of Sri Sunan (Kingdom family) but also considered as historical place in Solo city. There’s Keraton Surakarta museum inside there, which described society’s life in the past, the history of Keraton Surakarta, inscriptions, and classic transportation during Holland colonial. If you have a trip in Solo city, you shouldn’t miss Keraton Kasunan as your travel destination.

2. Klewer Market

Klewer market is the market where you can buy many kind of souvenirs, original from Solo city. Klewer market built in 1942, still exist until nowadays, and often being one of the destination for tourists who’d like to buy some souvenirs. In the corner of Klewer market, you can eat Solo city culinary. There are many food seller in the corner of Klewer market such as timlo, dawet ice, nasi liwet, serabi, and gethuk.

3. The Great Mosque of Surakarta / Masjid Agung Kraton Kasunan Solo

The great mosque of Surakarta, or local people more familiar with name Masjid Agung Solo. Masjid Agung is a mosque which built in 18^th century, by Sunan Paku Buwono III in 1763 in order to teach Islam to the society and also Islamic center. Masjid Agung is one of an ancient mosque that still exist in Indonesia and has been Islamic center since 18^th century until today. 

4. Jumog Waterfall

Jumog waterfall is one of the tourist cite in Berjo tour village, Kec. Ngargoyoso, Kab. Karanganyar. Talking about Karanganyar, most of travel website will refer to Grojogan Sewu waterfall. However, Karanganyar has another waterfall cite which good enough for relaxing your mind and feel the sensation of waterfall. That’s Jumog waterfall. For local tourists, you only pay for Rp 3.000,- in weekdays and Rp 5.000,- in weekend. However, for foreign tourists, you have to pay Rp 10.000,- ($0.74). It’s cheap and worth enough to enjoy the beauty of Jumog waterfall. You can also eat Solo culinary in food seller around waterfall while enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. That’s why I recommend you to put Jumog waterfall in your travel wish list

5. Tea Garden Ndoro Dongker

For you who call yourself as “tea lover”, you should visit tea garden Ndoro Dongker as your travel destination in Solo city. Enjoying tea in peaceful area with tea garden as a view is the best thing. Especially, if you bring your loved one, family, or friends, you can have a quality time with a cup of tea while enjoying the beauty of tea garden. Tea garden Ndoro Dongker restaurant also provide meal and many types of tea, for example, forest tea. Forest tea is quite interesting because inside tea cup, there are a lot of forest items which the main factor why forest tea’s smell is very aromatic. That’s what makes tea garden Ndoro Dongker unique. It's so unfortunate if you don't visit tea garden Ndoro Dongker. Put tea garden Ndoro Dongker as your travel list.

Actually, there are still more great places in Solo city, but those 5 places that I mentioned above are my top recommendations for you. Yogyakarta (read: Jogjakarta) might have many kinds of tourist cite which quite popular for local and foreign tourists, but Solo city also have great places that not many people know.

So, what are you waiting for? Explore Indonesia, Explore Java, and Visit Solo City!