Medan City

Medan City

¤ Medan is a major city of commerce, industry, and tourism in Indonesia. It is the third largest city in the country, i.e., after Jakarta and Surabaya. Click here to see it on the map.

Home to approximately 2.5 million people, Medan is about 1-hour flight north-west of Singapore. The city also serves as the gateway to the western parts of Indonesia, i.e., via Belawan Port and Kualanamu International Airport (KNO). Access from the city center to both transportation hubs is available by motorways and trains.

What’s Special

Medan serves as the main gateway to Lake Toba. Although Siborongborong (town in North Tapanuli) has the nearest airport to the lake area, Medan continues to be the primary entrance for two reasons. Firstly, the KNO airport has more flights to choose from, which essentially make trip planning more flexible. Secondly, the city is a tourist spot in itself. Many people traveling to Lake Toba are also interested in visiting the city so they want to combine the journey. Food, clothing, people and architecture are among the city attractions.

There are many old buildings there, most of which still retain the typical Dutch architecture. Dutch colonized Indonesia for approximately 300 years until 1942. The buildings include the old Town Hall Building, Post Office, and Tirtanadi Water Tower (a city icon). The typical artchitecture is also apparent on Titi Gantung (a bridge over railroad), Post Office, Bank Indonesia, London Sumatera Building, and some other old buildings in the Kesawan area.

Other architecture also exists in Medan. The vast Maimun palace of King Deli and the octagonal Grand Mosque dominate the center of the city. They combine both Islamic and European styles. But, the city is undoubtedly diverse. For example, Tjong A Fie Mansion and Annai Velangkanni (a Catholic church), among others, have made Medan a center of diversity. The former is a museum in the home of a Chinese merchant Tjong A Fie, and the later is an Indo-Moghul Catholic church in Graha Maria.

Medan is also the first city in Indonesia to integrate the city and the airport with a train system. You can quickly get to the city center by a train called Railink. The ticket price is Rp150,000 (US$ 12). Buy a ticket online (railink.co.id) or at the ticket counter on arrival.

The provincial capital is home to consulate offices from various countries such as the United States, Japan, Malaysia, and Germany.

Points of Interest

Below is the list of some points of interest in Medan:

Cultural sites

1. Annai Velangkanni Church
2. Cemara Asri Monastery
3. Chinatown
4. Maimun Palace
5. Medan Grand Mosque
6. Tjong A Fie Mansion
7. Ucok Durian

Choose Medan as your travel destination if you wish to visit Lake Toba and the above attractions. See all destinations.