Castle · Galle, Sri Lanka
Galle Fort
A fortified city built by the Portuguese and Dutch, the best example of a European fortified city in South Asia. Built 1588.
Photo: Jan Kranendonk via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Galle, Sri Lanka |
|---|---|
| Type | Castle |
| Built | 1588 |
| Coordinates | 6.0258° N, 80.2175° E |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Galle Fort is known for
A fortified city built by the Portuguese and Dutch, the best example of a European fortified city in South Asia.
About Galle Fort
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.
History
Galle's earliest historical existence is traced to Ptolemy's world map of 125-150 CE, when it was a busy port trading with Greece, Arab countries, China and others. The Portuguese made their first landing here in 1505, and in 1588 they built a small fort out of palm trees and mud, which they called Santa Cruz. In 1640 the Dutch captured the fort from the Portuguese and built it in its present form in the Dutch architectural style. The British took over the fort on 23 February 1796.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Galle |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | Koggala Airport (KCT) |
| Distance from the airport | 7.4 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark's coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Colombo Ratmalana International Airport (RML) · Colombo, Sri Lanka · 59.5 miles away
- Bandaranaike International Colombo Airport (CMB) · Colombo, Sri Lanka · 83.0 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in Sri Lanka
More castles
Frequently asked questions
What is Galle Fort?
A fortified city built by the Portuguese and Dutch, the best example of a European fortified city in South Asia.
Where is Galle Fort located?
Galle Fort is in Galle, Sri Lanka. Its coordinates are 6.0258° N, 80.2175° E.
How do I get to Galle Fort?
The nearest town is Galle, and the nearest airport is Koggala Airport (KCT), about 7.4 miles away (straight line).
When was Galle Fort built?
Galle Fort was built 1588.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galle_Fort — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2507050 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.