Berastagi

Berastagi panorama in 1940s with Mount Sibayak in the background

Lumbini Park, Berastagi

Berastagi (Dutch: Brastagi), meaning "rice store", is a town and district of Karo Regency situated on crossroads on the main route linking the Karo highlands of Northern Sumatra to the coastal city of Medan. Berastagi town is located around 66 kilometers south of Medan and about 1,300 meters above sea level. The village rose to significance when Dutch settlers in Sumatra opened a boarding school there in the 1920s.

With located around Barisan Mountains area, the mean annual temperature of the district is 18 °C. During the day, the temperature rises over 25 °C; but at night to early morning it could drop to as low as 12 to 16 °C, it is also could be reach 9 °C on rainy season. The weather could be a fair sunny around the day but it will change to foggy and sometimes with heavy rain around dusk to night.

The main economic activities in Berastagi, centre on the colourful fruit and vegetable market and on tourism. Berastagi is famous for its passion fruit. The main attractions of the town are the two active volcanoes; Mount Sibayak, with its hot springs, and Mount Sinabung. Each mountain can be climbed in one day, but a guide is needed.^[1]

Berastagi Fruit Market

The town is also a stop on the way to Lake Toba. The dominant ethnic and linguisitic group is Karo Batak.

Berastagi is 11 km from the capital Karo Regency government in Kabanjahe. Airport bus from Kabanjahe directly to the new Kuala Namu International Airport v.v. is available.

Administration

Villages

It borders Barusjahe and Tigapanah to the east, Simpang Empat, to the west, Deli Serdang Regency to the north and Kabanjahe to the south.

There are 9 administrative villages, called desa, in Berastagi district. It is the smallest (30.5 square kilometres), and most densely populated (1530 persons/square kilometre) district of Karo Regency.^[2] Elevation is 1400 metres.

Desas with population (2007):^[3]

• Gurusinga, 3,900
• Raya, 4,358
• Rumah Berastagi, 6,611
• Tambak Lau Mulgap I, 2,677
• Tambak Lau Mulgap II, 3,147
• Gundaling I, 8,388
• Gundaling II, 5130
• Sempajaya, 7,115
• Doulu, 2,011

Demographics

The population of Berastagi district is 44,765, as of 2011. It is the second-most populous district in Karo Regency, after Kabanjahe.^[4] Berastagi District has significantly more muslims than most parts of Karo Regency, with 17,801 Muslims, 5,042 Catholics, 29,195 Protestants, 1,245 Hindus or Buddhists, and 54 others, Sempajaya has the highest percentage of Muslims among the desas, being 67% Muslim. There are 28 mosques, 29 churches, and 2 Buddhist temples in the subdistrict.

The town also has a diverse ethnic group as many newcomers from other area open a business around, aside the Batak Karo and Toba people, there are significant Javanese, Chinese and also Achehnese living in. 97% of primary-age children are in school, but only 77% of high-school-age children. There are 26 junior schools, 8 middle schools, and 9 high schools within the district.

Economy

Agriculture

Agriculture is much less important in Berastagi (and Kabanjahe) than the rest of Karo Regency. Crops include scallions, common beans, peas, potatoes, cauliflower, cabbage, radish, Chinese cabbage, tomatoes, carrots, and chayote. Rice is not a significant crop. Fruit grown include oranges, passionfruit, kaki and avocados. There is significantly more industry in Berastagi district than the rest of Karo Regency, aided by Berastagi's 100% paved roads.

Tourism

Due to a close distance from Medan, Berastagi has been used as a nearby hill station for relaxing place from a busy city activity, many investors developed several tourism site, hotel and also villas for attracting more visitor from Medan, these places of interest are

• Gundaling, a hill located in town center, with height for more than 80m, the visitor could looking around berastagi town from here
• Miki Holiday Hotel and Funland, a hotel include a amusement park inside, located in Sempajaya village
• Lumbini Natural Park is a Buddhist temple with theravada style that has similarity with Shwedagon Pagoda in Myanmar, built in 2010
• Bukit Kubu (Kubu Hill), a greeny hill area with a hotel inside is suited for picnic.
• Berastagi Fruit Market, or Pasar Buah in Indonesian is selling local fruits and also included souvenir.
• Milk Pasteurisation factory, a factory with selling pasteurized milk with cows inside, visitor also can looking up the procedure of pasteurized milk.
• Tahura, abbreviated of Taman Hutan Raya (Forest park), is a forest with a lot various types of trees located around the town welcome gate.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Brastagi.

• Gov. Investment Agency - Tourism
• Berastagi travel guide from Wikivoyage

Coordinates: 3°11′N 98°31′E / 3.183°N 98.517°E / 3.183; 98.517

Karo Regency, North Sumatra
Districts	Barusjahe Berastagi Dolat Rakyat Juhar Kabanjahe Kuta Buluh Laubaleng Mardingding Merdeka Merek Munthe Naman Teran Payung Simpang Empat Tiga Binanga Tiga Panah Tiganderket