Galle is a port city on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, located 116 kilometres from Colombo by road via the Southern Expressway, taking approximately 1.5 hours by private vehicle. The city is the capital of the Southern Province and has a population of approximately 100,000. Galle is best known internationally for Galle Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site covering 36 hectares on a rocky promontory at the southern end of the city, containing the largest and best-preserved colonial sea fortress in Asia. The fort was originally constructed by the Portuguese in 1588 and substantially expanded by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) between 1663 and 1729. Galle is also the gateway to the southern coastal beach resorts of Unawatuna, Mirissa, and Tangalle, and serves as a cultural and commercial hub for the southern region of Sri Lanka.
Galle Fort is a 36-hectare walled city on a rocky headland at the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, enclosed by 1.5 kilometres of rampart walls constructed from coral and granite. The Portuguese built the original fortification in 1588 as a trading post and defensive position following their arrival on the Sri Lankan coast. The Dutch East India Company (VOC) captured Galle from the Portuguese in 1640 and between 1663 and 1729 substantially expanded the fortifications, constructing the current system of bastions, ramparts, moats, and gate towers. The fort contains 14 bastions including the Star Bastion, the Sun Bastion, the Moon Bastion, the Flag Rock Bastion, and the Aeolus Bastion at the seaward tip. The rampart walls facing the Indian Ocean reach a height of 5 to 7 metres above sea level and withstood the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, protecting the interior of the fort while the surrounding areas suffered catastrophic damage. The fort was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988 as an outstanding example of a fortified colonial city demonstrating the interaction between European architectural styles and South Asian traditions over a period of four centuries.
The interior of Galle Fort contains a grid of streets laid out during the Dutch colonial period, lined with colonial-era buildings that have been converted into boutique hotels, restaurants, galleries, and shops. The Dutch Reformed Church (Groote Kerk) was built in 1755 on the site of a Portuguese Franciscan convent. The gravestones set into the church floor belong to Dutch colonial officials and merchants who died in Galle during the VOC period, with inscriptions in Dutch dating from the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The All Saints Anglican Church was built in 1871 during the British colonial period and continues to hold weekly services. The Galle Lighthouse, standing 26.5 metres tall on the Flag Rock Bastion at the seaward tip of the fort, was built in 1938 on the site of an earlier Portuguese and Dutch lighthouse. The National Maritime
