North Sumatra, Province in northern Sumatra, Indonesia
North Sumatra is an administrative division covering the northern part of Sumatra island, reaching from the Strait of Malacca to the Indian Ocean. The area includes coastal plains, fertile highlands and volcanic landscapes with numerous rivers flowing through dense greenery.
The area served as a trading hub between Indian, Arab and Chinese merchants from the 11th century onwards, long before European powers arrived. Dutch colonial rulers later opened plantations and built railway lines that still connect some towns today.
The region takes its name from its position in the northern part of Sumatra and appears today as home to several communities with their own languages and ways of life. Visitors often encounter Christian churches alongside Muslim mosques, while markets show different culinary traditions side by side.
Visitors can reach different areas through long-distance buses departing from Medan, while local minibuses serve smaller towns. The rainy season brings more frequent downpours between October and March, making some mountain roads slippery.
Lake Toba, a massive crater lake, formed from a volcanic eruption around 74,000 years ago and ranks as one of the largest known eruptions in Earth's history. The water is so clear that you can see down to the bottom in some bays, while people live in traditional wooden houses on the central island of Samosir.
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Mount Sinabung
146.8 km
Candi Muara Takus
182.2 km
Gunung Leuser National Park
227.6 km
Toba
71.6 km
Jam Gadang
298.5 km
Maimun Palace
178.8 km
Grand Mosque of West Sumatra
359.1 km
Great Mosque of Medan
178.8 km
Ngarai Sianok
298.5 km
Mount Ophir
240.2 km
Fort de Kock
297.9 km
Bahal temple
104.8 km
Marapi
311.7 km
Sigalegale
74.2 km
Al-Hakim Mosque
362.4 km
Mount Sibayak
148.5 km
Mount Singgalang
304.7 km
Pematang Siantar Zoo
106.2 kmAnai Waterfall
314.1 km
Mount Tandikat
307.8 km
Sipisopiso Waterfall
115.2 km
Adityawarman Museum
361.9 km
Mikie Funland
144 km
Mount Leuser
282.2 km
Tjong A Fie Mansion
180 km
Talamau Mount
240.2 km
Medan Cathedral Parish
179.9 km
Minangkabau Culture Documentation and Information Center
314.9 kmAsahan
Batu Bara
Binjai
Dairi
Deli Serdang
Gunungsitoli
Humbang Hasundutan
Karo
Labuhanbatu
South Labuhanbatu
North Labuhanbatu
Langkat
Mandailing Natal
Medan
Nias
West Nias
South Nias Regency
North Nias
Padang Lawas
North Padang Lawas
Padang Sidempuan
Pakpak Bharat
Pematangsiantar
Samosir
Serdang Bedagai
Sibolga
Simalungun
Tanjung Balai
South Tapanuli
Central Tapanuli
North Tapanuli
Tebing Tinggi
Toba
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