Featured Image: Olanka Travels
Galle is a magnificent jewel. This momentous city is a delight to explore on foot. This exotic place is blessed with imposing Dutch-colonial buildings, ancient mosques and churches, grand mansions and museums.
When you start wandering in the lanes looking at rambling buildings, you will start feeling that you had gone a long way back in the time tunnel. You’ll pass stylish cafes, still wrapped in their old world charm, and all sorts of boutiques, immaculately-restored hotels and numerous old building which now house Government Establishments.
Built by the Dutch in the 1600’s, the Fort is surrounded by high walls overlooking the ocean. Here you’ll find remains of the colonial past and some touches of Moorish ancestry.
The Fort was first built by the Portuguese in 1588 before being extensively fortified by the Dutch in the mid 1600s. Recognized by UNESCO for its cultural heritage value, the Fort was declared a World Heritage Site in 1988.
In addition to cafes, a museum, jewelry shops, fashion outlets, book shops and there are different kind of charming houses are in the fort. Plenty of the buildings in Galle Fort are converted into hotels.
The charm of this place is difficult to be described in words. You will have to be there to experience the feeling this magnificent places instills in you. Its charm will be hard to forget even years after you visit the place.
With the opening of the Southern Expressway, Galle is only a 2 hour drive away from Colombo. You can hire or rent a vehicle (these services are offered by any Colombo hotel you might be staying at) and take a quick journey to Galle. You can even take public transport for a truly authentic travel experience.