Medan is the capital of the province of North Sumatra, Indonesia. Located in the northern part of the province along the coast, Medan is the third largest city in Indonesia, with approximately 2.5 million people.
Medan is recognised for its multi-cultural society that lives in harmony, creating a unique culture blend. The population is mainly made up of Batak, Javanese, Chinese, Indian, Minang, Acehnese and other ethnic minorities such as Sundanese and Madurese.
There are many old buildings in Medan that still retain their Dutch architecture. These include the old City Hall, the central Post Office, the Water Tower, which is Medan City’s icon, and Titi Gantung (a bridge over the railway).There are several historic places such as Maimun Palace (Istana Maimun), where the Sultan of Deli still lives, and the Great Mosque (Masjid Raya) of Medan built in 1906.
In general, Medan isn’t really a tourist destination, but it’s a convenient stepping stone to other places like the ‘weekend getaway’ Brastagi, Gunung Leuser National Park at Bukit Lawang, and beautiful crater Lake Toba.
Medan has the large number of interesting arts and crafts shops, especially along J1 Ahmad Yani.
Click to view the schedule.