The port city of Galle is situated along the southwestern coast of Sri Lanka. Primarily known for the famous Galle Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the city has played a significant role in the country’s lengthy colonial history. Housing innumerable and diverse attractions within its precincts, the Galle Fort is undoubtedly the highlight of the city. The attractions include the Dutch Reformed Church, Old Dutch Hospital, Galle Clock Tower and Galle Lighthouse. The National Maritime Museum, also located at the fort, offers fascinating insights into the country’s maritime history; some of the objects on display are believed to be more than 800 years old! If you’re looking to explore the fort at a leisurely pace and understand its features, there are a plethora of fabulous hotels that you could stay at, most notably the 17th-century building-turned-luxury resort Amangalla.
Galle has a major attraction for wildlife enthusiasts—the Kanneliya Rainforest Reserve, which harbours numerous endemic flora and fauna. Tourists can marvel at and buy antiquities at the Historical Mansion Museum, owned and operated by a local family. The city also hosts an annual international literary festival known as the Galle Literary Festival.
Undoubtedly, no tour of Sri Lanka is complete without a trip to Galle—a city synonymous with the country’s utterly fascinating colonial-era history.