Old City

The Old City is the area of town just near the main train station that has a large number of old colonial buildings in different stages of disrepair.

It's a small area of town that warrants a walk around, a few photos and perhaps a visit to the old Dutch church built in the 1700s.

Sadly most of the buildings in the Old City are rundown, falling down or simply just facades of former glory. Even though the buildings themselves are largely poorly maintained, the area is so densely filled with them that it still evokes a certain colonial charm that really could be something special if someone would only put some work in restoration and preservation of these treasures.

Gereja Blenduk is an old Protestant church built in 1753 and is to this day used by church-goers. It is open to the general public for the Sunday service and at other times by request only. It's a beautiful building that stands out among the many other old buildings due its well-preserved look.

The Old City is prone to flooding and it's not uncommon to have to wade through water to get to where you want to go when the heavens open. The only option when the area is flooded is to hire a becak or taxi to take you to your destination although even then you might get wet.

This part of Semarang is certainly worth a look.