Cultural Travel: Five Hidden Heritage Gems in Singapore You Can’t Miss

There’s a rhythm in Singapore that pulses just beneath the skyline—a tapestry of traditions, stories, smells, flavours and colours that sometimes slip past the bustle of Orchard Road. At Mercure Singapore on Stevens, we believe that real discovery happens when you pause, listen, and take your time. If you’re wondering where to begin, here are five heritage destinations that offer not just sights, but memories.

Keong Saik & Bukit Pasoh – The Whispered Elegance of Old Shophouses

Wander the narrow streets off Neil Road, and you’ll find yourself in a world of faded paint, ornate wooden doors, and intricate Peranakan tiles. In Keong Saik and Bukit Pasoh, every shophouse seems to hold a secret—a merchant’s story, a family recipe, a façade that has witnessed grand dinners and silent mornings.

Stop at a tucked-away kopitiam for kaya toast and kopi (pulled coffee), or browse through antique shops that seem frozen in time. The calm here contrasts sharply with the nearby Orchard bustle, and that’s exactly the point—it’s a slow exhale in a fast city.

Tiong Bahru – Art Deco & Literary Heartbeats

Tiong Bahru whispers modernism with soul. The rounded corners, low-rise balconies, porthole windows—these are the remnants of 1930s art-deco elegance. Each block, each courtyarded corridor, has been stripped of showmanship, leaving behind beauty in honest form.

Visit BooksActually or one of the many indie bookstores, then hop into Tiong Bahru Bakery to share a pastry under the dappled light. Here, the past doesn’t feel like relic—it lives in conversation with today’s cafes, murals and mannered pace.

Kampong Glam & Arab Street – Where Stories Are Written in Gold Domes and Colourful Textiles

From the golden crescent of the Sultan Mosque to the quiet corners where batik is dyed, Kampong Glam is a living, breathing palette of tradition. At dusk, lanterns sway. Conversations move between Malay and Arabic; the air fills with incense and spices.

Shop for lampshades that draw shadows like lace, taste shawarmas and Nasi Padang in the same breath, or simply sit and watch as the sun sets over the mosque’s minaret. Here, heritage isn’t preserved—it is a daily ritual, vibrant, sensual, immediate.

Joo Chiat & Katong – A Mosaic of Peranakan Beauty

Rows of pastel shophouses, lacework tiling, and intricately carved wooden doors—they are not just pretty; they hold craftsmanship, heritage, and marriage of cultures. Joo Chiat & Katong is where Chinese, Malay, European influences met and made something unique: Peranakan culture.

Try kueh dadar or laksa for breakfast. Peer into heritage homes with ornately decorated facades. Ask about the stories behind the colours. These houses have memories—and you’ll feel them in the quiet curve of a staircase, or the echo of festival drums in the evening.

National Museum & Civic District – Layers of Time in Stone & Story

If you allow, the Civic District will take you on a walk through Singapore’s evolution: colonial past, wartime trials, independence, cultural fusion. Start at the National Museum, wander through the old Supreme Court and City Hall buildings, then cross the Padang where the pulse of public life beats still.

Exhibitions here aren’t just informative—they’re immersive. There are artefacts, photos, archived voices. There are stories of people—of mothers, students, workers—who shaped the city in small ways that built something big.

Discover With Mercure

Culture isn’t an address; it’s a lens. It’s overheard conversations in kopitiams, the smell of herbs in Little India, the tilework on old shop fronts. At Mercure Singapore on Stevens, we invite you to see through that lens: to seek out the unexpected, to savour heritage in its vibrant, imperfect form.