Galle in Sri Lanka - A Town inside a Fort, Galle, Sri Lanka

Visitors to the Sri Lankan town of Galle are surprised at the contrast between this coastal town and the other towns on the island. Open spaces cooled by a gentle sea breeze create a completely different atmosphere here thanks to the large, historic fort that has survived here for over 400 years. Galle (pronounced “Gaul”) is on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka. Its strategic position and a good natural harbour meant that, historically, it was important for trade which needed to be protected. It has been occupied by the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British and they have all left their mark here.

The war-loving Portuguese built a fort here during the sixteenth century. During the seventeenth century this fort was captured and expanded by the Dutch. This profit-seeking nation used Galle as a base for the Dutch East India Company as Sri Lanka, or Ceylon as it was then called, was central to the company’s shipping routes. Galle Fort was quietly surrendered to the British at the end of the eighteenth century when the Dutch were defeated during the Napoleonic wars. Throughout the nineteenth century Galle remained the most important port for Sri Lanka. But by the beginning of the twentieth century the capital, Colombo, had become the more important port due to enlargement of its harbour. Galle then lapsed into a quiet backwater, its old colonial architecture unspoilt. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).