Originally the old city was divided along ethnic lines, with Europeans on the west side of the Kali Mas river and Chinese, Arabs and Javanese on the east bank. Jembatan Merah is a famous bridge that connected the two halves of the city; it also saw fierce fighting during Indonesia’s battle for independence. Jl Jembatan Merah, running parallel to the canal, is a grungy replica of Amsterdam, but worthy (although rundown) examples of Dutch architecture can be seen here.
Another impressive structure is the Indo-European–style Gedung PTP XXII government office building.
