Galle is the fourth largest city in Sri Lanka after Colombo, Kandy and Jaffna and the capital of the Southern Province. A town rich in heritage, Galle was ruled by the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British and has some great colonial style architecture with many of the structures being built in the 18th century. The historic Galle fort is a World Heritage Site and was built by the Dutch in 1663 and later used by the British occupiers as the administrative center.
Present day Galle is home to a large number of expats and very popular with tourists. The Galle Fort area has some wonderfully picturesque lanes, where it is possible to wander for hours- awestruck in the beautiful architecture, almost transported to the times of colonial rule. When you get tired of the wandering, sit down at one of the simple cafes such as the Heritage Cafe to enjoy a lovely meal before you set off again. The streets of Galle Fort are definitely on my list of favourites!
Get your Sri Lanka visa online.
For more posts about Sri Lanka, visit the Sri Lanka Travel Blog.
Additional Reading
Sri Lanka Travel Tips: Things to Know For First-time Travelers
Ayurveda Retreat in Sri Lanka: Barberyn Beach Review
Stay at this Glass Roofed Villa in this Eco Lodge in Sri Lanka
9 Things to do in South Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka Safari: Into the wild at Yala National Park
Hiking to World’s End Sri Lanka
What to do in Nuwara Eliya in the Hill Country
Wandering the Streets of Galle
The Scuttlefish
Tuesday 30th of September 2014
Galle is one of the most quaint cities I've ever been in, a lovely place for the historically-minded. It's a great base for exploring the nearby towns of Unawatuna, Mirissa and Weligama as well. I'm forever nostalgic about travelling around Sri Lanka!
thebohochica
Saturday 4th of October 2014
It's a lovely city. I totally understand the nostalgia :)
Ayubowan from Sri Lanka! « The Boho Chic
Saturday 1st of September 2012
[...] finally finishing up at the sleepy beach village of Mirissa on the South coast, stopping at the colonial town of Galle on my way back to Colombo- all this in just 6 days! The trip took me to the almost surreal Buddhist [...]