Galle Fort, in the Bay of Galle on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka, was built first in 1588 by the Portuguese, then extensively fortified by the Dutch during the 17th century from 1649 onwards. It is a historical, archaeological and architectural heritage monument, which even after more than 423 years maintains a polished appearance, due to extensive reconstruction work done by Archaeological Department of Sri Lanka. he fort has a colorful history, and today has a multi-ethnic and multi-religious population. The heritage value of the fort has been recognized by the UNESCO and the site has been inscribed as a cultural heritage UNESCO World Heritage site. There are many places of interest to see, while visiting Galle and the best Galle Fort Accommodation is the Landesi by Jetwing. The villas at the hotel has been built using building materials taken from old properties that were being demolished, the villa was rebuilt preserving its original architectural aspect. The Villas are unique, while keeping the rich Dutch heritage intact. The villas are airy, spacious and looks out to the beautiful, lush gardens of the hotel. Beautiful painting adorn the walls, and beautiful carved antique furnishing of the hotel gives out a majestic outlook.
There are two main gates in Galle Fort. The walls in front of the Fort were built by the Portuguese. The Dutch have reinforced them by building several bastions. – Star Bastion, Moon Bastion and Sun Bastion. In the Gate from where you enter towards the Harbor, outer walls contain the logo. The Oriental Hotel inside Fort which was built in 1694, was a building constructed for the use of Dutch Governor and his officials.. The Dutch Museum consists of a large collection of items used during the Dutch Period. This museum is near the Oriental Hotel while the first Marine Museum of Sri Lanka is housed near the Old Gate. It is also believed that the Bread Fruit Tree inside the fort, is the oldest Bread Fruit Tree in Sri Lanka.
Pushpitha Wijesinghe is an experienced independent freelance writer. He specializes in providing a wide variety of content and articles related to the travel hospitality industry.Google+