Galle Fort
A fortress city on a cape where Dutch colonial architecture has merged with Lankan life. Galle Fort is the best-preserved European fortification in Asia, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and a place where you can spend a day wandering streets between old houses, boutiques, and cafés. Here, the past isn't preserved under glass—it lives.
History
The Portuguese
The Portuguese built the first fortifications in 1588. A small fort protected the port where cinnamon—the island's chief treasure—was loaded.
The Dutch
In 1640, the Dutch captured the fort and rebuilt it extensively: 14 bastions, walls u...
