Galle is a jewel. 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. Wandering its rambling lanes you’ll pass stylish cafes, quirky
boutiques and impeccably restored hotels owned by local and foreign artists, writers, photographers and designers. Built by the Dutch, beginning in 1663, Galle’s core is the Fort, a walled enclave
surrounded on three sides by the ocean. A key part of the Fort’s appeal is that it
isn’t just a pretty place. Sure, tourism now dominates the local economy, but this
unique city remains a working community: there are administrative offices and
courts, export companies, schools and colleges. Most travelers are utterly seduced by Galle’s ambience, and it’s undoubtedly
southern Sri Lanka’s one unmissable sight. Flag Rock
Flag Rock, at the southernmost end of the Fort, was once a Portuguese bastion. Today it is easily the most popular place to catch a sunset. During daylight hours
you may see daredevil locals leaping into the water from the rocks. Numerous
vendors sell good street food such as fresh papaya with chilli powder from carts. During the Dutch period, approaching ships were signalled from the bastion atop
Flag Rock, warning them of dangerous rocks – hence its name. Musket shots
were fired from Pigeon Island, close to the rock, to further alert ships to the
danger. Later, the Dutch built a lighthouse here; since removed, the nearby street
name survives.

• Dutch Reformed Church

Originally built in 1640, the present building dates from 1752. Its floor is paved
with gravestones from Dutch cemeteries, while other impressive features
include the organ and an imposing pulpit made from calamander wood and
topped by a grand hexagonal canopy. You may encounter the friendly caretaker
who will likely point out the (slightly bizarre) carved wooden memorial
dedicated to a former Commander of Galle, Abraham Samlant – the tiny cotton
shirt is said to be the one he was baptised in.

• Old Gate

Abeautifully carved British coat of arms tops the entrance to the Old Gate on the
outer side. Inside, the letters VOC, standing for Verenigde Oostindische
Compagnie (Dutch East India Company), are inscribed in the stone with the date
1669, flanked by two lions and topped by a cockerel. A section of the
fortifications here also served as a spice warehouse.

• Marine Archeological Museum

This spacious maritime museum occupies a colossal old spice warehouse built by
the Dutch and dating back to the late 17th century. The structure was originally
part of the main gateway to the Fort and it still forms part of its ramparts. An
introductory video presentation sets the scene and there are interactive displays
that illuminate the city’s maritime past, including the many shipwrecks in Galle’s
surrounding waters. It covers two levels that snake through the city walls. After decades of neglect, the building was derelict by the millennium, but it
reopened in 2010 as a museum after two years of renovations.

•  Lighthouse

Guarding against the rocks at the southern end of the Galle promontory, this
elegant 27m working lighthouse dates from 1939, though there’s been a
lighthouse in Galle since 1848.

• National Maritime Museum

Nestled in the old walls, this small museum is worth a quick look for its skeleton
of a Bryde’s whale and a very useful model that explains how tsunamis occur. There are also some dusty displays demonstrating old fishing techniques and
examples of local boats.

• Historical Mansion

More of an antique store than a museum, this Fort townhouse (which dates back
to the Dutch days) contains the private collection of a long-time local family. Many exhibits have price tags; look for oodles of colonial artefacts, including
collections of antique typewriters, VOC china, spectacles and jewellery. Also look
out for craftspeople busy polishing gems and weaving lace; a guide will show you
around. Don’t miss the places where plaster has been removed to show how the building
was constructed.

•  Dutch Hospital

Now fully restored and home to myriad upmarket boutiques and restaurants, this vast, colonnaded colonial landmark dates from the 18th century. Its size was
necessary as both the voyage to Ceylon and life in the tropics proved very
unhealthy to the Dutch, who died in droves from various diseases and the
tropical heat. There are fabulous bay views from its upper balcony.

• Main Gate

The Main Gate in the northern stretch of the wall is a comparatively recent
addition – it was built by the British in 1873 to handle the heavier flow of traffic
into the old town. This part of the wall, the most intensely fortified because it
faced the land, was originally built with a moat by the Portuguese, and was then
substantially enlarged by the Dutch who split the wall in 1667 into separate Star, Moon and Sun Bastions. null