Galle Dutch Fort

Galle Fortress is an ancient city where people still live, and it is also one of the world cultural heritages. The fortress was built by Dutch colonists. The firm and hard old city wall is the iconic landscape of the Galle Fortress. It not only witnesses the changes of Galle during the colonial period, but also protected the entire ancient city from the 2004 South Asian tsunami. 1. Overview of the fortress This ancient city was built by Dutch colonists in 1663, in a standard European style, covering an area of 36 hectares. There are about 400 houses, churches, temples and many old commercial buildings in the fortress. A visit to Galle Fort is not about visiting every inch of the land here, but just strolling through its old city walls and streets to appreciate its quaint beauty, literary atmosphere and a unique dynamic charm. Visitors to the Galle Fortress will walk around the city wall, overlooking the entire ancient city, while enjoying the beautiful sea view, a rare and comfortable enjoyment. 2. Introduction to the main attractions The main gate (MainGate) of the Galle Fortress is located at the northern end of the city wall. It was built by the British in 1873 and is relatively new. It separates the new city of Galle from the ancient city. Walking clockwise along the city wall, you will see the Old Gate of the fortress. This Mediterranean-style building is relatively dilapidated, with the fortress storerooms on both sides. Outside the old door there is a coat of arms of the British hideout, and on the inside of the door there are three letters of VOC, representing the Dutch East India Company. After passing through the old gate, you can see a black castle (Zwart Bastion), which is the oldest bunker in the fortress. At the southeastern end of the city wall is a Utrecht Bunker (PointUtrechtBastion), facing the sea, and there is an 18-meter-high lighthouse on top of the bunker, which is a representative building of the Galle Fortress. You can find it on many souvenirs about Galle. see it. The lighthouse is not open to the outside world, and tourists can only enjoy it outside. Watching the sunset from the city wall at dusk, the romantic scene will be particularly heartwarming. To the southwest of the city walls is the Triton Bastion bunker, which is a wonderful place to watch the sunset. The flag stone (FLAGROCK) at the end of the next section of the city wall used to be a Spanish bunker. During the period of Dutch control, the bunker was used to warn ships to beware of dangerous underwater reefs, hence the name of the flagstone. There are also many old buildings worth admiring inside the Galle Fortress. There is a Dutch Reformed Church (Dutch Reformed Church) at the intersection of Church St Road and Middle St Road. The exterior is white, with beautiful outlines, and there are some simple stained glass mosaic windows inside, especially the ground and exterior walls are covered with The tombstones of the former Dutch residents in Galle. There is a bell tower near the church, which is still in use today and is said to be quite accurate. Not far from the clock tower is the National Maritime Museum (National Maritime Museum) converted from the fortress warehouse, which can be entered from the old gate of the Galle Fortress. The museum displays a large number of cultural relics excavated under the sea, such as maps, ships, ropes, pottery, wine glasses, tobacco bags, artillery, etc., as well as some introductions about the history of Galle and underwater creatures.