Tawang Station is one of the most beautiful colonial railway stations in Java, built in 1914 in a Dutch neoclassical style and still operating as Semarang's main intercity rail terminal. The building has a long, arched facade with decorative ironwork and high clerestory windows that flood the waiting rooms with light.
Unlike many colonial buildings in Indonesia that have been converted to other uses, Tawang still functions as a working station — trains to Jakarta, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, and other Javanese cities depart from its platforms daily. Arriving in Semarang by train and walking out of Tawang's colonial concourse directly into the edge of Kota Lama is one of the better arrival experiences in Java.
The station is located at the northern edge of the old town, a short walk from the Blenduk Church. Even if you're not catching a train, it's worth a look inside. Occasional flooding has affected the surrounding area — the streets around Tawang sit below sea level and are among the most flood-prone in the city.