The city of Galle is a mix of old and new and the perfect choice for a weekend getaway. Here’s some information on the history of the city of Galle, and how it became what it is today.
Overview
Galle takes up 1636.45 square kilometres from the 5497.4 kilometres of the land area that makes up the Southern Province. Galle is roughly 126 kilometres from Colombo and can be reached easily through the southern expressway. You can get to your base such as Le Grand Galle, regarded as one of the best hotels in Galle, through the train and take a taxi or even directly, by car.
The Portuguese period
The Portuguese period of Galle lasted from 1505 AD to 1640 AD when a group of Portuguese sailors led by Don Lorenzo de Almeida arrived on the island.
The Dutch Period
The period of Dutch lasted from 1640 AD to 1796 AD, after about 2000 soldiers landed at a coastal village south of Galle, known as Unawatuna, on the 8th of March 1640. In a battle which ensued between the Dutch and Portuguese, the Dutch overcame the Portuguese and captured Galle Fort, recorded as one of the fiercest battles fought by the Dutch in Sri Lanka.
The British Period
The British period lasted from 1796 AD to 1948 AD, when the 70th Regiment of the British Forces in Sti Lanka took control of Galle without any fighting.
