Walking into the city, you can still see the colonial remains there. Galle is a city that was occupied first by the Dutch, then the Portuguese and finally by the British. The 36-hectare Fort is the best example of Dutch influence as far back as 1663. Starting from Fort, you can walk among other old walls and streets. All these colonial remains have earned Galle the prestigious status of UNESCO World Heritage Site.
If you are looking for tropical white sand beaches fused with fine art and streets marked with colonial history, you do not have to go anywhere else. It fulfils almost everything you will look for in a romantic destination. If you are looking for an ideal hotel, Galle has plenty of them which maintain good standards. A majority of the colonial buildings has now been converted into swanky restaurants and hotels. Closenberg Hotel is one such hotel among several others.
Galle is undoubtedly an essential place to visit when you are in the southern hemisphere of Sri Lanka. As for tourist attractions, the area is teeming with whatever you name from architecture down to nature. As you walk in the city, you will see how it stands a cut above the rest. That is much owing to the heavy colonial occupation. Thanks to that colonial inspiration, the city has a classic outlook. And the best thing about this area is that you can reach here within a few hours. If you are in Colombo, get to the expressway that leads to Matara. From Colombo, the Galle-bound expressway journey takes only an hour. This expressway journey is possible even if you use public transport.
To this day, you can see a large number of foreigners – outnumbering the locals at times, probably. For most foreigners, Galle has become their home. In fact, one-third of the houses is said to be occupied by foreigners. Today, you will see art flourishing in the city with the participation of both foreigners and locals alike. Whether it is creative writing, photography or designing, you can see kind of a revival here. The renowned Galle Literary Festival had been held here for a number of years.
Catalina Forbes is a travel writer who bases her content on many thrilling escapades experienced across the world.