Laweyan is the oldest batik-producing neighbourhood in Solo, its history stretching back to the 16th century when it was a centre of the Javanese textile trade. The kampung retains much of its historic fabric — old merchant houses with high walls, ornate gates, and the layout of traditional Javanese production workshops where the batik is made in the compounds behind the street fronts.
Many of the workshops are open to visitors, and watching the process of batik tulis (hand-drawn batik using a copper-tipped wax stylus called a canting) is a worthwhile hour. The neighbourhood also has a number of showrooms selling high-quality Solo batik directly from the producers. Prices here are fair, and you can watch the work being done in the same courtyard where it is sold.