Cambodia's second-largest city is an elegant riverside town, home to some of the best-preserved colonial architecture in the country. Until recently Battambang was off the map for road travellers, but facilities have recently been improved and it makes a great base for visiting the nearby temples and villages. It's a secondary hub on the overland route between Thailand and Vietnam, and if National Highway 6 from Poipet to Siem Reap is ever upgraded it'll become an even smaller hub. The network of charming old French shop houses clustered along the riverbank is the real highlight here, and there are a number of wats scattered around the town. The small museum has a collection of Angkorian-era artifacts, and beyond the town there's a number of hilltop temples, yet more wats and a large lake. Battambang is now a smooth, sealed 293km (181mi) bus or share-taxi ride from the capital.

The province of Battambang is subdivided into 13 districts:
* 0201 Banan
* 0202 Thma Koul
* 0203 Bat Dambang
* 0204 Bavel
* 0205 Aek Phnum
* 0206 Moung Ruessei
* 0207 Rotanak Mondol
* 0208 Sangkae
* 0209 Samlout
* 0210 Sampov Lun
* 0211 Phnum Proek
* 0212 Kamrieng
* 0213 Koas Krala

Statistics
Area: 11,702 km2
Inhabitants: 793,129 (1998)
Pop. density: 67.7 inh./km2
ISO 3166-2: KH-2

source: Wikipedia