Salatiga sits about 40km south of Semarang on the road to Solo, at the foot of Mount Merbabu. Known since Dutch colonial times as a city of relaxation thanks to its cool mountain climate, it is now a quiet university town — about 40% of its 150,000 residents are students at its three private universities, most notably Satya Wacana Christian University. A pleasant place to break a journey, escape the heat of the lowland cities, or use as a base for trekking Merbabu.
The old town around the alun-alun has a modest collection of Dutch colonial-era buildings and a relaxed atmosphere that the university presence amplifies. The local soto Salatiga — a clear chicken soup with rice cakes — is worth seeking out before moving on.