Magelang Regency

In brief …

Magelang serves as a launching point for visits to the sacred 8th-century Borobudur Buddhist temple and has a rich history as a military post. This city in Central Java enjoys a scenic location between the Progo and Elo rivers, located 40 kilometres northwest of Yogyakarta and 75 kilometres south of the Central Javan capital Semarang. Magelang is a pleasant place to explore with a number of historical sites from the Dutch colonial era to see, including the Drinking Water Tower that still stands in the centre of town.

It is located in the middle of the Magelang Regency, between Mount Merbabu and Mount Sumbing in Central Java Province, Indonesia. Magelang is located 43 km north of Yogyakarta, 15 km north of Mungkid and 75 km south of Semarang, the capital of Central Java.

Magelang was established on 11 April 907. Magelang was then known as a village called Mantyasih, which is now known as Meteseh. There are three stele of historical importance in Magelang, namely Poh, Gilikan and Mantyasih, all of which are written on a plate of copper. Poh and Mantyasih were written under the rule of King Balitung of Mataram Kingdom. In those stele, the villages of Mantyasih and Glanggang were mentioned. They became Meteseh and Magelang respectively.

Location

The composition of demography based on its religion and belief, Magelang people has varied and different belief and religion. Majority of Magelang citizen are Muslim, but there are minority groups such as Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, and there are also spiritualism and traditional Javanese belief.

As of February 2010, Magelang has a total population of 118,227. Magelang’s population was 58,311 men (49% of the total population) and 59,916 women (51% of the total population).

Activities

Magelang’s mountainous surroundings offer pleasant day-trip excursions for enjoying the great outdoors. Ketep Pass offers lookout points with panoramic views of Mount Merapi and Mount Merbabu, and the Volcano Theatre with educational films and multimedia presentations about the area’s dynamic geological features is found here. The rivers, lakes, hot springs and waterfalls dotted throughout the area offer nice mini-trek and picnic sites. Pleasant strolls and water sports are enjoyed at Bleder Lake, while some easy rafting may be done on the Elo River.

The 18-hole Borobudur International Golf & Country Club, equipped with a luxurious clubhouse, restaurant and driving range, is located in the Mount Tidar area of central Magelang. The city’s main stadium, a popular place to watch football matches, is nearby. Magelang’s only cinema is found in the town square.

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