Tugu Monument, A well known landmark located in the center of downtown Yogyakarta. Built by Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono VI, the top spire was originally a round sphere which represents the universe. During the colonial era, the spire was replaced with a golden cylinder.
Benteng Vredeburg, Jl. Jenderal Ahmad Yani 6. ☎ +62 274 586934, +62 274 510996 (fax: +62 274 586934). A Dutch fort located in front of Gedung Agung (President's Palace). A great example of the Dutch colonial architecture. A few warfare items are still preserved, including a twin cannon.
Kotagede. The capital of ancient Islamic Mataram kingdom. The tomb of Mataram Kingdom's first king, Panembahan Senopati, is also located in this place. Before independence, Kotagede was the central economic district of Yogyakarta, as it held the largest marketplace and was home to many wealthy batik merchants. Although some ancient buildings have been modernized or replaced with newer buildings, Kotagede remains a prime example of ancient Javanese architecture and city structure. Be sure to check out the local silver handicrafts.
Imogiri, southwest of town. Graveyard of the Yogyakarta and Surakarta royal families. Suffered damage during 2006 earthquake but has reopened.
Kotabaru, which used to be Dutch officials residential area, has few heritage homes as well as a colonial style church and monastery (Gereja Kotabaru) and a stadium (Stadion Kridosono)
Kraton Complex
The Sri Sultan's palace or Kraton encompasses the main palace, Sultan's residential, two Sultan's grounds, and large residential area where sultan servants used to reside. Notable attraction in Kraton complex are:
Kraton Yogyakarta. A calm yet elegant Javanese heritage that consists of two separate entrances: the Main Court (Pagilaran & Siti Hinggil), and the Residence. The Main Court showcases the grandeur of Sultan's monarchy, while the Residence is more homey while still exhibiting the royal family's luxurious lifestyle. Open 8.30AM to 1PM daily, on Friday the attraction is closed at 11AM. While the guide is part of the entrance fee, they might expect tips. Some guide might offer extended trip to sultan's servants batik workshop, this is a scam as they only bring you to a regular batik shop with steep price. It's a good idea to refuse their offer politely. Rp 12,500 (foreign tourist price) or Rp 5,000 (Indonesian tourist price), Rp 1,000 extra for a photo. There are music and dance shows within the palace regularly, free with the ticket, try to check out the times when you arrive in Yogajakarta. The Sultan maintains three gamelans in the palace, and the pavilion nearest the entrance houses one of them. If they're playing, do sit down and be patient, this music takes its time.
Also worth seeing is the prince's palace to the SE of the main palace.
Sultan's Carriage Museum (Museum Kereta) . This museum houses the Sultan's horse-drawn carriages, including two beautiful carriages imported from the Netherlands and known as Golden Carts (kereta kencana).
Taman Sari, Jl. Taman, Kraton. Also known by the Dutch name waterkasteel (water castle), this is a partly ruined complex built as a pleasure garden by the first Sultan in 1765. One of the bathing pools was dedicated to the sultan's harem, and he had a tower overlooking the area so he could take his pick. Towards the back of the complex is the original entrance to the pools, which used to be a small dock connected to a long-since-vanished river; a bit of snooping beyond this entrance will get you to a back street, where one can freely visit a fascinating network of tunnels and rooms, including an Escher-like series of interlacing staircases over what looks like a disused well. Entrance fee does not cover the guide, who will expect tips. Open 9AM-3PM daily. Rp 7,000 for entrance, Rp 1,000 for a photo permit.
Siti Hinggil Selatan. This somehow-muted palace is rarely used for formal occasion. You can catch a shadow puppet performance during weekend mornings and nights. There is no admission charge for the show and you can come and go as you please, which you may well want to do as the show is long and somewhat difficult to follow if you do not speak bahasa Indonesian.
Alun-Alun or the Sultan's ground. There are two Sultan's grounds: Alun-alun Utara and Alun-alun Selatan or the northern and southern Sultan's ground, consecutively. If you are lucky, you can see the Gerebeg Maulud parade during Prophet Muhammad's birthday.
Masjid Gede Kauman, one of the oldest and largest mosque in Yogyakarta. Located on the west of Alun-alun Utara, this mosque was where the Sultan performs his religious rites and ceremonies. Non-muslim visitors should wear decent clothing. It may be a good idea to ask the mosque authorities prior to entering the mosque due to some rules that must be abide.
Yogyakarta city was built with deep philosophy: the city was designed so that the main elements of the city forms a imaginary line. This straight line starts from Parangtritis on the coast, to Kraton Yogyakarta, to Tugu Monument, and finally to Mount Merapi. This represents Sultan's strong relationship with the guardian spirits of Mt. Merapi and the beach of Parangtritis.
Museums
Museum Affandi, Jl. Laksda Adisucipto 167 (at the beginning of the road out to the airport), ☎ +62 274 562593 (affandimuseum@yahoo.com), [7]. Delightful museum built around the former home of the late Affandi, one of Indonesia's best-known painters. Several galleries, including one with 30 of Affandi's paintings from his early, impressionist and expressionist periods, and another with paintings by some of his 11 children. The artist designed some of the buildings (the central complex was originally his home and offices) himself, and the grounds themselves are worth the admission price. Helpful staff to show you around. Rp 20,000 includes a drink..
Museum Dirgantara (aircraft museum), Jl. Kolonel Sugiono. (behind Adi Sucipito Airport), +62 274 564465, +62 274 564466. M-Th 8AM-1PM, Sa 8AM-12PM. This Indonesian aircraft museum holds several antique aircraft from WWII era such as Badger bomber, MIG-15 to MIG-21, P-51 Mustang, Catalina flying boat, Auster MkII, Lavochkin LA-11, F-86 Sabre, T-33 Bird, A6M5 Zero and others. Rp 5,000.
Museum Sonobudoyo, Jl. Trikora 6, Yogyakarta 55122 (north alun-alun), +62 274 76775, +62 274 373617 (fax: +62 274 385664). A Javanese archeology museum, has many Javanese artefacts like wayang puppets, masks, statues, textiles, weapons, as well as a full set of Javanese gamelan instruments. Worth a visit if you have some extra time in Yogya, or you are interested in Javanese culture study. Rp 3,000.
Museum Kekayon, Jl. Raya Yogya–Wonosari (km 7) 277, Baturetno, Banguntapan, Bantul. ☎ +62 274 513218, +62 274 379058, +62 818 260020. (museumkekayon@usa.net). Tu-Su 8AM-3PM. A wayang (puppet) museum with a lush javanese style garden. It is divided into 10 sectors, where each holds a vast amount of wayang puppets from various places in Indonesia. Rp 5,000.
Source : Wikitravel
