Bukit Tinggi ('High Hill') is in the middle of the Agam Valley, one of the three valleys which form the heart of the Minangkabau. While Padang is the modern business and governmental centre, Bukit Tinggi is the cultural capital of the Minangkabau principalty.
Bukit Tinggi, the biggest city in the highlands, grew from the Dutch fortress 'de Kock', which was built during the Paderi wars in 1825. This attractive, active city. many Indonesian intelectual people grew up, some of them were Mohammed Hatta, the first Indonesian vice-President.
However Bukit Tinggi is only 1 degree from the equarot, it has a fairly cool climate because it's located on an altitude of 900 metres. It rains often, but many tourists still think this is the best city on Sumatera. Everything can be reached by foot, and food and accomodation are good, there is much to see and to and the people are friendly.
A city walk
Bukit Tinggi's orientational point is Jam Gadang ('Big Bell') on the central square, a bell tower decorated with small Minang house. The tower can be seen from almost every part of the city and is a good starting point for a walk. The lifely Pasar Atas (central market) is close to it, and on Saturdays and Sundays, Minangkabau women sell all kinds of fresh vegetables , fruit and meat (except pork); the brightly colored plastic things seem to sell the best.
Tawar) bargaining) is very common, as well as all over Indonesia. Keep smiling and negotiate fermly. From here, walk towards the main street, Jalan Ahman Yani, with it's many antique and souvernir-shops, restaurants and offices. Two unique stair-shaped streets with even more shops descend from here towards Jl. Cinduamato on the right side.
The park Taman Bundo Kanduang, on top of the hill along Jl. Cinduamato, has a zoo and a museum. The view over the city is very nice as well as the enviroment. The name of the park points at the legendaric 'Big Mother-symbilics of the matrilineair Minangkabau. The zoo is visited a lot, especially on Sundays, however the animals have a pretty bad life.
The museum is houses in a traditional Minangkabau
rumah gadang, complete with palm-fibre roof and attached ricesheds. Inside there are examples of bridal clothing and
tanduk head-shawls in the form of buffalo horns, and furtermore some old guns which were used against the Dutch and musical instruments. There also is a small fortune of gold jewelry; for centuries this was the area of the most important gold production in the entire Indonesian archipelago.
Breathtaking panoramic views
Bukit Tinggi once was called Fort de Kock, after the Dutch stronghold which was built here along the steep mountain hills in 1825. Stone ruins and a few cannons are the only remains of the fortress, locally known as
benteng. A watchtower offers a splendid view over the sunsets and Gunung Merapi ('Fire Mountain', not the one on Jawa), which spits out some smoke every once in a while.
People who like spectacular panoramic views should not pass the southern edge of the cuty, bordering to the amazin Ngarai Sianok ('Buffalo Hole'). This cliff has steep walls and a flat bottom which is part of the tectonical crack that runs across the entire island. The view is best early in the morning. While the first morning light shines on the peak of Gunung Singgaang, banks of fog hang around the peaks of the hundred-metre-high cliff. The river runs through the ricefields and dissolves in the foggy distance. A viewpoint in the Panoramic Park oversees the cliff and is a favorite spot for a hike in the afternoon. The path will lead you into theravain, along tunnels that were made by the Japanese. These tunnels can be visited with a guide and a flashlight.
Hiking to Kota Gadang
Kota Gadang, the village of silverworkets, is just a few km from Bukit Tinggi across the Ngarai Sianok. Walk into the ravain for one km, turn left, cross the river over a small bridge and follow the patk over a long stairs to the top. From here it's only a ten minute walk to the village. The speciality of this village is very thin silverworks. Miniature Minangkabau houses are sold, as well as earrings and other smaller versions of traditional objects.
