Blenduk Church

Another great location in Semarang that my relatives convinced me to go to while I was there. One of the reasons I went there is probably because it's listed as the oldest church in the province, built in 1753. Two centuries before Indonesia's Independence!

The church is located right at Kota Tua or the historical site of Semarang, so not only did I get to see the oldest church in the province, but I also got to see old buildings that were built by the Dutch when they occupied Indonesia. Sadly, we didn't get to go inside the church, because we arrived there after 4 PM. And apparently, the church is open to the public from 9 AM to 4 PM (if I'm not mistaken).

Credits to dad (as always...)

Monki Top  / Zara Jeans (similar here) / Charles & Keith Sandal / Zara Backpack (similar here) 

I didn't take too much pictures in front of the church, because there were motorcycles passing by us every single second, so I kept a good eye on my camera half the time I was there (teehee!).

Even though I was wearing a tanktop, I was still sweaty and felt disgusting when we went back to the hotel. So in the future, when I visit Semarang again, I'll keep in mind to bring shorts/skirts instead of jeans! The weather there is much more hotter than here in Jakarta. And it's over thirty degree celsius everyday here in Jakarta.

By the way, the church in Javanese is called 'Gereja Mblenduk'. Gereja means church, and mblenduk means dome. The main star of this church is obviously the dome. Although it's not quite as big as I thought it would be, it's quite spectacular to see an old church here in Indonesia.

A clear view of the Dome

(My dad is great at taking candid pictures of me) HEHEHE

After getting a great view of the church from the front, we decided to move along and walked across the church to see it from another angle. And I must say, the view was so much better from the side. Not much people were there and the sun wasn't glaring at you as it did from the front of the church. And, a great place to admire the dome.

Pigeon feet action right there

Soon enough, the sun was about to set. So the lighting wasn't so great. I was very disappointed that we didn't get to go inside the church, but hey, that means another impromptu trip to Semarang in the near future!

Honestly though, if I didn't research about the church beforehand, I would've not known that the church was built over three centuries ago. Because in my opinion, it doesn't look as old fashioned as the churches in Europe and the white paint made it look brand new. Compared to the Cathedral Church here in Jakarta, I was far more impressed with the architecture here in Jakarta even though it was built in the 1900's.

Great view of the sun

We didn't stay long because there was nothing much to do there. The driver who took us around Semarang suggested us to visit Lawang Sewu, so we did just that. Not gonna lie, the experience was much better in Lawang Sewu probably because it had historical explanation inside of it.

Before we left, I saw this old building across the church called 'Spiegel'. Something about it drew me in. Turns out that it's a restaurant/café. Hopefully, I would try out the food there when I come back to Semarang! :)

Much love, Ashley xx

Address: Jl. Letjend. Suprapto No. 32, Jawa Tengah 10460