Despite being a small island next to a giant country, Sri Lanka boasts a lot of historical sites, lush mountains, national parks with elephants, and beaches. The country is really special for travel; so special that I wrote two articles about it. I mean how many countries in Asia, especially small island nations, can you go hiking, relax on beaches, and go on safaris to see elephants in the wild? The country’s historical sites include both native sites like the 5th-century mountain fortress of Sigiriya, as well as the Portuguese-Dutch colonial fortress of Galle. The latter was my first stop during my trip to Sri Lanka.

Located on the southwestern coast of Sri Lanka, Galle Fort is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was built in the late 15th century by the Portuguese before later being expanded by the Dutch (who captured Galle from the Portuguese). It is the largest European-build fortress in Asia, so much so that it actually has a residential community inside it.

Guarding the bay of the town of Galle, the fort lies on a small peninsula and is home to a thriving community of locals and expats. When you come here, you aren’t just looking at sea walls and gun emplacements of a historic fort, but heritage buildings, museums, lighthouse, mosques, churches, shops and hostels.

The sea wall of the fort is a great place to look out at the Indian Ocean, especially sunsets, but even better is walking the lanes inside the fort. That’s because the lanes are full of interesting colonial homes, many of which house shops, cafes, and restaurants.

The most interesting building I came upon was the Historical Mansion Museum, a former colonial administrator’s mansion, which houses several rooms displaying antiques and a jewelry workshop. It is free though there is a jewelry gem store on site. If you are not interested, there’s no need to buy anything of course. I also made a quick visit to the Maritime Museum, which besides a mounted whale skeleton had a disappointing sparse collection. But that was the only blemish on a great visit to a unique fortress town.

Early evening stroll

Mid-morning stroll
Sri Lanka’s flag flies proudly on top of the fort walls

The streets within Galle Fort are full of shops, hostels and cafes

Historical Mansion Museum, which was a combination of a mini museum, workshop and jewelry store

One of the on-site jewelry craftsmen

    Whale skeleton, Maritime Museum

Galle’s international cricket ground, as seen from Galle Fort’s entrance.
Photoshoot on the beach below Galle Fort