Semarang Isn't Just the Old Town: 4 Destinations to Uncover Nearly Forgotten Stories

Every city has its own way of holding onto its past.

In Semarang, these stories can be found in old buildings, vintage items, even railway lines that still carry traces of history.

Through the ITSMe Travel Series with Raisha, this journey invites us to see Semarang and Ambarawa from a different perspective: not just as places to visit, but as spaces to rediscover the stories left behind by time.

These traces begin at Root House, one of the most unique corners of Semarang's Old Town district.

A large tree grows inside the old building, its roots spreading and wrapping around the walls. This sight is what makes Root House one of the most attention-grabbing spots for visitors.

But behind its unusual appearance, this building holds a far deeper history. Root House is the former office of De Locomotief, a Dutch-language newspaper that played an important role in the development of the press in Semarang, Central Java.

Today, the blend of the historic building and the tree's roots has become its own distinct attraction.

Root House is worth visiting not just for its unique appearance, but because this place shows how nature and time can transform a building without ever erasing the traces of its past.

Leaving the old buildings behind, the journey shifts to objects that have also endured through the years.

At Siwil Art, vintage items such as glass bottles, enamel plates, suitcases, old currency and various other antiques are arranged artistically. This display turns the space from a mere storage for old goods into a striking visual space to be enjoyed and documented.

More than just a photo spot, Siwil Art gives new life and stories back to everyday objects that were once familiar to daily life.

Visitors can witness how items that might have been written off as outdated instead become part of the experience of connecting with the past.

Curiosity about these objects leads the journey onwards to the Old Town Antique Market.

Here, the past is not just put on display—it is still sought after, haggled over, and passed from hand to hand.

Analog cameras, typewriters, radios, vinyl records, old telephones, currency and vintage stamps can all be found among the traders' stalls.

For collectors, the magic lies in the surprise. You never know what might be hidden among the piles of goods.

This journey even had a small mission: to track down an old comic book.

This search led us to Elvira, a native Semarang resident and trader who has worked in the antique industry for many years.

Speaking with her made it clear: old objects are never just things. They hold memories and value that keep people coming back to search for them.

After encountering the past through buildings and objects, the journey continues on to Ambarawa, where history takes a different form: trains that still run along historic railway lines.

Ambarawa Station, originally opened as Willem I Station on 21 May 1873, is now part of the Ambarawa Railway Museum.

One of its most remarkable features is its rack railway line, an engineering system that allows trains to traverse steep uphill tracks.

For this reason, riding the tourist train in Ambarawa is far more than just a trip—it is an opportunity to directly experience a piece of Indonesian railway history.

This journey also brings us close to the legacy of Gadis Kretek, including a stop at Tuntang Station, one of the filming locations for the series.

This station, which has stood since the 19th century, has gained a new layer of story: a historic site that once formed part of regional transport and trade networks, now introduced to new audiences through a story told on screen.

From roots growing through old buildings, objects finding new meaning, antiques still being hunted, to trains rolling along historic rails, these four destinations show us that the past never truly leaves.

It only changes form.

And waits to be found once more.