One of its alumni members is President Soekarno himself. The first of Bandung universities, the Technische Hogeschool (TH) was established on July 3, 1920. In 1880, the first major railroad between Jakarta to Bandung opened, boosting small industries and bringing in Chinese workers. Pasopati bridge flyover, a new landmark of Bandung. The Concordia Society building, now Gedung Merdeka, was built with a large ball room as a club for rich Europeans to spend their weekends. Many of Bandung landmarks, including the Preanger and Savoy Homann hotels, as well as the shopping street of Jalan Braga, are still available today. Powered by its cinchona (for malaria drug quinine), tea, and coffee plantations, Bandung prospered and developed into an exclusive European style resort with hotels, cafes, and shops. Military barracks were built and Bupati Wiranatakusumah II, the chief administrator of that area, built his dalem (palace), Masjid Agung (The Grand Mosque) and pendopo (meeting place) in the classical Javan alun-alun (city square) near a pair of holy city wells (Sumur Bandung) and facing the mystical mountain of Tangkuban Perahu (near Lembang). Because north coast was in the form of impassable swamps and marshes at the time, the road was diverted through Bandung along what is now Jalan Asia-Afrika.ĭaendels liked Bandung's strategic location so much that he ordered the capital to be moved there. Daendels responded by building the Great Post Road ( De Groote Postweg) that stretched about 1000 km between the west and the east coasts of Java. Daendels to improve Java's defenses against the threat of the English, who occupied the nearby Malay peninsula.

In 1809, Louis Bonaparte, the ruler of the Netherlands and its colonies, ordered the Dutch Indies Governor H.W. In the 17th-18th century, the Dutch East Indies Company (VOC) created small plantations in Bandung, with a road to Batavia (today's Jakarta) completed in 1786.

For travellers, the surroundings of Lembang in the north and Ciwidey in the south are among the highlights of Greater Bandung.Īlthough the oldest written reference to the city dates back to 1488, there were numerous archaeological finds of 'Java Man' that lived on the banks of Cikapundung river and the shores of Bandung's Great Lake.

The city of Cimahi in the west is Bandung's largest suburb. The Greater Bandung Metropolitan Area ( Bandung Raya) has a population of more than 8 million, and extends well beyond the city of Bandung. Many hotels and restaurants are located here along the street of Jalan Riau and Jalan Supratman. Saung Angklung Udjo, a cultural centre with traditional Sundanese music performances, is in this district. A highlight for travellers is Trans Studio Mall, housing one of the biggest indoor theme parks in the world. Vast residential areas on Bandung's southern plain. Northwest Bandung also includes the main road into the mountains of Lembang, and the airport. This is the centre for factory outlets, restaurants, and cafés with city view.Īmple opportunities for shopping, from the Jalan Cihampelas 'jeans street' to the extensive Paris Van Java shopping mall. The district includes part of the historic Great Post Road ( Jalan Asia Afrika), along which Bandung was established, and the main railway station.Ĭolonial era villas, government buildings, and the ITB university complex along Jalan Dago that runs from the city centre up to the hills. However, for this travel guide the city has been divided in the following five districts, that are more useful for travellers.īandung's city centre, with at its heart the Alun-alun lawn square. Bandung has become a very popular weekend getaway for Jakartans due to its close proximity, especially during holiday periods, where the city is crowded with cars coming from the capital city.Īdministratively, the city of Bandung ( Kota Bandung) is divided in 30 districts ( kecamatan). If you are into the city situation, look for its universities to study, apparel products to try on, and wonderful places for gastronomic adventure. Nicknamed Parijs van Java (Paris of Java) by the Dutch for its resemblance to Paris and European atmosphere back at the colonial times, it is locally called as Kota Kembang, literally meaning the Flowery City because Bandung had a lot of flowers in the colonial era and republic era up to the early 1960s.Ī city sitting in a former lake with an altitude of 768 m above sea level, the surroundings of lush and beautiful Parahyangan mountains makes the climate cooler than most major cities in Indonesia. Bandung is a huge city with several district articles that contain information about specific sights, restaurants, and accommodation.īandung is the capital city of West Java province, and the third largest city in Indonesia after Jakarta and Surabaya.

Club amnesia bandung