Galle

Galle is a small city of 100000 inhabitants in Sri Lanka, lying along its southern coast, not far from the southern tip of Sri Lanka. It has an own natural harbour, consisting of a large bay bordered by a promontory to the west. Galle has been settled since prehistoric times and has been a major seaport over its history. Europeans first arrived in 1502 when the Portuguese set up a colony and trading post. In 1640 the Dutch took over Galle and kept it until 1796, when they were replaced by the British.
The historic centre of Galle is the Galle fort. This is located on the promontory west of the bay and is full of colonial era buildings from the past five centuries. The fort is surrounded by a ring of walls. Inside there are several churches, mostly from the Dutch and British periods. The entire old town is a tourist area with a large number of restaurants, cafes, hotels and shops.
The Galle fort has been a UNESCO world heritage site since 1988.
How to get to Galle
Galle can be reached from Colombo by road (2 hours) or by train.
Accommodation
There is a large number of hotels and guesthouses inside the Galle fort. Most are bookable via the international booking portals.