While other visitors on holiday in Sri Lanka rush off to see wildlife, sunbathe, swim and surf, gape at historical ruins, trek in the hill country or cope with Colombo’s cacophony, here’s our tip for a calm and safe way to have fun on holiday in Sri Lanka: go to Galle Fort.
There’s all the atmosphere and history you need within Galle Fort’s ramparts, together with quaint, boutique-style hotels to stay in antique surroundings, innovative places to eat and drink, gem shops and stores stuffed with amusing merchandise and great souvenirs. What’s more, you don’t need a tuk-tuk to explore Galle Fort’s cobbled streets. Although they are not actually pedestrian-only precincts, they are pleasant to stroll along as you window-shop or gaze at the ancient battlements defining the fort, or peer through open doorways to mysterious courtyards.
Galle Fort is “ten minutes by tuk-tuk” from the Galle Railway station. That phrase, uttered by three-wheeler drivers trying to attract tourists arriving by train, has become the name of an amusing restaurant on the gallery of Galle Fort’s old Dutch hospital. More on that later.
History & Heritage at Galle Fort Sri Lanka
Although the city of Galle is a thriving metropolis with a population of over 100,000, it’s Galle Fort that attracts tourists, and just one visit there will show you why: it is safe and fun. Of course, Galle Fort has not always been like that. The broad ramparts and gaunt battlements remain from the days when it was a military fort, heavily fortified and built to withstand potential invaders.
Steeped in history, Galle Fort is the best preserved colonial sea fortress in the whole of Asia. It is built on what used to be a peninsula which became an entrenched settlement in the lowland territory of the Kandyan kings and remained so until the Portuguese – who first saw Galle in 1505 – invaded in 1589. They built bastions, embankments and a small fortress to guard the harbour.
The Dutch wrested it from Portuguese occupancy in 1640 and stayed for 156 years, adding ramparts and more bastions around the edges, and churches, houses and streets within the walls, together with a complex network of underground channels that enabled the sea to flush away the sewage.
The Dutch ceded the fort to the British. Entrance was then by a drawbridge across a moat. Now the moat is filled in and the British coat of arms adorns the outer wall of the Old Gate, with the crest of the Dutch East India Company, dated 1669, on the inner side.
Although Dutch Fort is on the UNESCO World Heritage List it is a lively place to visit, not a dull, historical monument. There is no entry charge, since the fort has schools, shops, and is home to families who have lived there for generations, as well as to recent residents from overseas whose efforts to gentrify their newly-acquired ancient houses under guidance from the Archaeological Department, have helped the Fort’s preservation and transformation.
Hodgepodge
There are over 450 houses in the Fort. About 50 pre-date the British occupation, with a further 104 constructed before 1850. A stroll along the cobbled streets takes visitors past Dutch and British colonial houses, adapted by local builders to tropical living with collonaded verandas and ornate gables. Art Deco houses from the 1930s and earlier Art Nouveau homes are represented too.
Many of these charming houses have become cafés and trend-setting stores in the “Arts and Crafts” fashion, introduced by foreigners so smitten by Galle Fort’s charms, they settled there and opened shops, invigorating the Fort’s 1980s personality from down-at-heel to up-market. Local artists and entrepreneurs followed suit so now Galle Fort is a hodgepodge of curios delighting the curious.
What at first seemed fake when introduced to the ancient setting has become part of the Fort’s charm, giving it life. A major innovation was the conversion of the abandoned, ancient Dutch Hospital into a complex of bars, restaurants, upmarket souvenir and gem shops, over two floors, with loos on the ground floor.
From the upper balcony-gallery where guests sit and enjoy an exquisite meal and intriguing cocktails served with charm and care at such places as “Ten Minutes By Tuk Tuk” and “Tequila Mockingbird,” there are views over the battlements and breadfruit trees to the sea The atmosphere is one of relaxation and mutual enjoyment, given the safe setting and no traffic or street noise.
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Entrance to Galle Fort is only through two entrances tunnelled into the ramparts, or by sea, and there are security personnel checking all arriving visitors. Cricket fans already know about the test match cricket ground beyond the Fort’s walls where they meet to watch a game from the rampart lookout.
There are many historical monuments to inspect and some public and private museums as well, so visitors can enjoy a dash of history and culture before relaxing with an easy conscience, having done the sights, over coffee or a cocktail. There are plenty of amusing places to stay in Galle Fort, but none is like a conventional hotel, being boutique style created in old, converted buildings.
For a conventional stay, just ten minutes by tuk-tuk from Galle Fort, we recommend the new and stylish Fairway Sunset or, for self-catering, its sister property, Fairway Serviced Apartments.
How to get to Galle, Sri Lanka
By hired vehicle, it’s cool to travel on the Southern Expressway from Colombo (or via Colombo if you’re coming from the airport) although there are suburban roads and traffic to negotiate to get to the Expressway entrance from central Colombo.
By train, the best departures from Colombo Fort station are in the morning, as the afternoon trains will be packed with commuters going home after work.
Express train departure times from Colombo Fort station with arrival at Galle are: 0610/0759; 0655/0919; 0835/1049; 1030/1242
If you’re just going for a day trip from Colombo, only one express train runs for the return trip, Galle/Colombo Fort station: 1650/1840.
The second class fare is Rs180; the distance 111.78km.
An illustration of Galle Fort Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka Holiday Guru Tip
Although you can make a day trip to Galle Fort from Colombo or west coast towns, we recommend a stopover for a night as Galle Fort has so many fun places to enjoy for a sunset drink or dinner. And in the early morning, before the sun gets too hot, it’s much cooler for strolling along the ramparts and streets, experiencing the atmosphere of this quaint and charming (and living) reminder of Sri Lanka’ history.
