Solo (Surakarta) Travel Guide
A court city in Central Java, seat of the Surakarta Sunanate since 1745 and of the Mangkunegaran principality. Motto: “The Spirit of Java.” Solo is a centre of batik, gamelan and classical Javanese dance — and carries a long, friendly cultural rivalry with Yogyakarta.
Why Go to Solo (Surakarta)
Solo feels like Yogyakarta without the tourists. Its two courts — the Kasunanan palace and the Pura Mangkunegaran — are still lived in and still run Javanese ceremony, but the city around them goes about ordinary business: markets, food stalls, batik lanes, cycle-rickshaws.
This is a batik city in the literal sense. Kampung Batik Laweyan has been making it since the 16th century, Kampung Kauman is younger but just as alive, and Pasar Klewer is the largest cloth exchange in Java. The Javanese calendar sets the city’s rhythm: Sekaten in the month of Mulud, the Grebeg processions with their offering-mountains, and the Kirab on the eve of 1 Sura with the sacred albino buffalo descended from Kyai Slamet.
Solo is also an eating city. Nasi liwet, timlo, selat Solo, tengkleng, sate buntel, serabi Notosuman — many of the legendary stalls open before dawn or only late at night, so plan your meals, not just your sightseeing.
- Two living palaces, calmer than Yogyakarta’s
- 16th-century batik villages at Laweyan and Kauman
- Pasar Klewer — Java’s largest cloth market
- KRL Commuterline straight to Yogyakarta (~1 hr)
- Dawn and late-night food: nasi liwet, tengkleng, serabi
Current Conditions in Solo (Surakarta)
Districts & Where to Base Yourself
- Around the Kraton & Alun-alun KidulThe Kasunanan palace, Pasar Klewer, the Grand Mosque — the most history-dense base.
- Slamet Riyadi (the main axis)The ceremonial avenue: Sriwedari, the Radya Pustaka Museum, Loji Gandrung, the Batik Carnival route.
- LaweyanThe old batik village in the west, showrooms and workshops inside former merchants’ houses.
- Mangkunegaran & Pasar TriwinduThe Mangkunegaran palace, the Triwindu antiques market, cafes around it.
- Balapan & Purwosari (the stations)The two main stations; Balapan is the junction toward Yogyakarta, Semarang and Surabaya.
What to See in Solo (Surakarta)
- Baluwarti, pusat kota Keraton Kasunanan Surakarta Hadiningrat The Sunanate palace (founded 1745), still the Sunan’s official residence. Part of the complex is a museum: royal carriages, heirlooms, and the Panggung Sangga Buwana tower. A sarong is required in the inner areas (provided). Parts close during ceremonies. Photography is banned in some rooms.
- Utara Slamet Riyadi Pura Mangkunegaran The Mangkunegaran principality’s palace, with a grand pendopo whose ceiling carries a Javanese zodiac motif, and a museum of masks, jewellery and old gamelan. A guided tour (Indonesian/English) is included in the ticket. Dance rehearsals are open to view on certain days.
- Barat kota Kampung Batik Laweyan A batik-making quarter since the Pajang kingdom (16th century). Dozens of showroom-workshops inside old batik merchants’ houses; many run short batik classes.
- Sisi barat Alun-alun Utara Pasar Klewer The largest wholesale textile market in Java — batik, lurik and fabric from across Central Java. Crowded and multi-storey; come in the morning.
- Kompleks Sriwedari, Slamet Riyadi Museum Radya Pustaka The oldest museum in Indonesia (1890): old manuscripts, wayang puppets, ceramics and Javanese ethnographic collections.
- Dekat Balai Kota Pasar Gede Hardjonagoro The central market under a curved roof designed by Thomas Karsten (1930). A hub of Solo snacks — dawet, cabuk rambak, brambang asem — with Chinese-Javanese street food around it.
- Utara kota Taman Balekambang An old city park (1921) with a lake, deer, and an open-air Ketoprak stage. Solo’s most pleasant green space for a morning or late afternoon.
- Purwosari – Sangkrah, di jalan raya Sepur Kluthuk Jaladara A tourist steam train that trundles slowly down the middle of Jalan Slamet Riyadi, stopping at a few historic points. Runs on set schedules or by charter only.
Local Food
- Nasi liwet — coconut rice with shredded chicken, spiced egg and thick coconut areh
- Timlo Solo — a clear soup with Solo sausage, liver-gizzard, egg and glass noodles
- Selat Solo — ‘Javanese steak’: beef, egg, potato, a thin sweet-sour sauce
- Tengkleng — a thin-broth goat-bone stew (its origin: the leftovers of the aristocracy’s ration)
- Sate buntel — minced goat wrapped in a thin sheet of fat and grilled
- Serabi Notosuman — thin coconut pancakes, plain or chocolate, made since 1923
Getting There
Trains to Solo Balapan station from Jakarta (Gambir, ~7 hrs). From Yogyakarta the easiest link is the KRL Commuterline (~1 hr, cheap, frequent). Adi Soemarmo airport (SOC), 14 km north of the city, handles domestic and some regional flights.
Getting Around
Gojek/Grab is cheap and quick in town. Batik Solo Trans (bus corridors, fare ~Rp4,000) covers the main axis including the airport. Cycle-rickshaws (becak) are still common for short hops around the palace and markets — agree the fare first.
Practical Tips
- Plan your meals: many legendary stalls open only at dawn or only at midnight.
- Bring or buy a cloth wrap for the palace inner areas; dress modestly in the court complexes.
- The KRL to Yogyakarta makes Solo a good base — two cities on one trip.
- Pasar Klewer and Pasar Gede are liveliest in the morning; parts shut by early afternoon.
- During Sekaten / Grebeg / 1 Sura, book hotels well ahead and expect congestion around the square.