Visiting Kintamani can now be for more than the breathtaking views of the magnificent Lake Batur and the surrounding mountainous area while enjoying delicious local dishes.

Tourists can make a visit to the newly launched Batur Geopark Museum, an interesting venue offering a journey into the geological history of Mount Batur, the geopark area, and the entire island of Bali.

Located on Jl. Raya Penelokan, the museum occupies 1 hectare of the heart of Kintamani.

Here, visitors can learn about Batur Geopark, which was officially listed as a member of UNESCO’s network of Global Geoparks in 2012 due to its scientific, geological, archaeological, ecological and cultural importance.

Entering the museum, visitors find a miniature landscape representing the entire geopark and a historical diorama depicting the area’s volcanic history.

The large panels display stories on the formation of the universe and planet Earth, and how Bali, Mt. Batur and the geopark area formed geologically.

In another part of the hall, there are displays of rock samples resulting from the geological process, taken from volcanoes in various areas across the Indonesian archipelago.

Since a geopark territory encompass sites with scientific importance not only for geological reasons but also by virtue of archaeological and cultural value, this museum offers visitors a glimpse of past Balinese life, including the diversity of cultural expression found in Balinese society, with holy buildings, stone statues and lontar manuscripts.

The area surrounding Mt. Batur has a unique geological history. It is the scene of two massive ancient volcanic explosions, which created the volcanic lake and the Batur caldera. Mt. Batur, which dominates that panorama, remains an active volcano.

The large crescent-shaped Batur Lake is surrounded by the high crater rim. The crater conjures up images of the massive eruption of the original Mt. Batur, which occurred tens of thousands years ago.

Most Balinese remember the great eruption of 1917 that claimed thousands of lives and destroyed hundreds of temples.

Other eruptions have taken place since, forcing the local population to be relocated, along with several of their temples, including the main Ulun Danu temple. Initially inside the huge crater, this temple has been relocated to the top of the ridge, overlooking it.

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