Galle city- A place like no other

The seaside town of Galle is 116 Km away from Colombo by road or rail, down the south coast of Sri Lanka. Both routes are picturesque, following the coastline closely for much of the way. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this historic city is a delight to explore on foot, an endlessly exotic old trading port blessed with imposing Dutch-colonial buildings, ancient mosques and churches, grand mansions and museums. Galle Fort, in the bay of Galle on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka, was built in 1588 by the Portuguese, and then extensively fortified by the Dutch during the 17th century from 1649 onwards. However, the fort underwent extensive modifications in the 17th century by the Dutch, making it one of the most important archaeological, architectural and historic monuments to illustrate the European influence in South East Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries.