A Kingdom Divided
At a Glance
Dawn of a New Era
The Last Emperor
War and Rebellion

Few foreign visitors make their way to Solo, at least by comparison with the huge numbers who visit the rival royal town of Yogya, just 60 km (38 miles) away and only about one hour by car, bus, or train. Visit even easier by the completion of Adi Sumarmo International Airport which at the moment host international flights from Singapore and Kuala Lumpur in addition to frequent domestic flight from Jakarta.

Though sharing a common heritage and a similar layout, the two cities are actually quite different. Surakarta is considered to be the more refined and more aristocratic—after all, the Surakarta palace can rightfully claim to be the elder and more legitimate royal house of Central Java. Solo today is also quieter than Yogya and more of a commercial town.

A visit here is well worthwhile, even if on a quick day-trip to tour Solo’s two palaces: At the very least, the journey puts Yogya into some kind of perspective. Several days are of course needed to explore the city, and these can profitably be spent poking around fascinating old markets, shops and side streets.

With more time available, exploration to both cultural and natural heritages in the surrounding areas is by far more than just interesting. Currently many foreign traders come to Solo and its surrounding areas for wooden furniture and batik. Those who have interest in these products can visit the craftmen directly, buy or make a customized order, and have them to ship directly to your doorsteps.

In Javanese cosmology, the ruler is God’s earthly “shadow”—a divine figure who sits motionless at the center of the universe. In fact the name Pakubuwana (as the king or Sunan of Surakarta is known) literally implies that he is a “nail” or “spike” around which the cosmos revolves. The Sunan’s traditional palace or keraton thus forms a kind of hub or “anchor” for the kingdom.

If you enjoy our post, feel free to subscribes to our rss feeds