Purwokerto is not a tourist city in its own right — most travellers pass through on the way to somewhere else — but the hill country immediately to the north on the slopes of Mount Slamet is the reason to slow down. Baturraden, 14 km up the road, is the highland resort area where Javanese families come for cool air, hot springs and waterfalls. Closer to town the alun-alun (main square), the Banyumas dialect museum and a few colonial-era buildings give a flavour of the regional culture.