Purwokerto, Capital city in Central Java, Indonesia
Purwokerto serves as the capital of Banyumas Regency in Central Java, sitting in a plain crossed by the Kali Kranji River. The settlement spreads across four administrative districts at an elevation of roughly 84 meters (276 feet), with Mount Slamet rising in the distance.
The administrative role began in 1861 when flooding forced authorities to relocate the capital of Banyumas Regency from its former site. Since then, the settlement has grown into the main center of the region.
Local residents gather in the central public square beneath six traditional banyan trees that provide shade for food vendors and community events. The name combines two Javanese words referring to a sacred forest that once covered this area.
Railway connections run to Jakarta and Yogyakarta, while Tunggul Wulung Airport in Cilacap sits around 40 kilometers (25 miles) away. The central area around the public square is easy to explore on foot.
The Bank BRI Museum, founded in 1895, displays Indonesian currency collections and banking artifacts in the original branch building of the country's oldest bank. The building itself preserves colonial architecture and recalls the early days of modern banking in the archipelago.
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