The alun-alun (town square) is the traditional centre of any Javanese city, and Salatiga's is a pleasant and well-maintained example. The square is flanked by the main mosque, the old colonial-era town hall, and a cluster of food vendors who set up in the evenings. Families gather here in the late afternoon, children use the open space, and the surrounding streets fill with market activity.
The old town hall (Balaikota) beside the square dates from the Dutch colonial period and is one of the better-preserved examples of colonial civic architecture in the region. Several other colonial-era buildings survive in the blocks around the alun-alun, giving this part of the city a different character from the more chaotic commercial districts.