Bukittinggi

Bukittinggi (Indonesian for "high hill") is one of the larger cities in West Sumatra, Indonesia, with a population of over 91,000 people and an area of 25.24 km². It is situated in the Minangkabau highlands, 90 km by road from the West Sumatran capital city of Padang

The city has its origins in five villages which served as the basis for a marketplace.^[1]

The city was known as Fort de Kock during colonial times in reference to the Dutch outpost established here in 1825 during the Padri War. The fort was founded by Captain Bauer at the top of Jirek hill and later named after the then Lieutenant Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies, Hendrik Merkus de Kock.^[2] The first road connecting the region with the west coast was built between 1833 and 1841 via the Anai Gorge, easing troop movements, cutting the costs of transportation and providing an economic stimulus for the agricultural economy.^[3] In 1856 a teacher-training college (Kweekschool) was founded in the city, the first in Sumatra, as part of a policy to provide educational opportunities to the indigenous population.^[4] A rail line connecting the city with Payakumbuh and Padang was constructed between 1891 and 1894.^[5]

It is a city popular with tourists due to the climate and central location. Attractions within the city include:

• Ngarai Sianok (Sianok Canyon)
• Lobang Jepang (Japanese Caves) - a network of underground bunkers & tunnels built by the Japanese during World War II
• Jam Gadang - a large clock tower built by the Dutch in 1926.
• Pasar Atas and Pasar Bawah markets
• Taman Bundo Kanduang park. The park includes a replica Rumah Gadang (literally: big house, with the distinctive Minangkabau roof architecture) used as a museum of Minangkabau culture, and a zoo. The Dutch hilltop outpost Fort de Kock is connected to the zoo by the Limpapeh pedestrian overpass.

Notable nearby destinations include Lake Maninjau and the Harau Valley.