49. Galle (Sri Lanka)

28.11.21-30.11.21

After 3 days, we set off again, as there is a lot to discover in Sri Lanka and we can't really stay in one place for long...

Next stop: Galle

The city of Galle is known for its fortress built by the Dutch in 1663, which is the largest surviving fortress in South Asia!

When the British took over the country from the Dutch in 1796, the fortress served only as an administrative center - a larger seaport was established in Colombo, causing the port of Galle to lose its once important role!

Just like the fortress, the old town of Galle is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is very beautiful with its narrow streets!

And, as always (except Nizwa), we are very lucky and stay in a super beautiful accommodation with nice hosts, with whom we spend an interesting evening and learn more about the culture!

Finally, we are very shocked and surprised that the tsunami in 2004 (triggered by an earthquake in the Indian Ocean) has hit Sri Lanka particularly hard. In the media and documentaries, we have always read a lot about the devastating effects in Thailand and seen that Sri Lanka, after Indonesia, had the highest number of casualties with over 35,000 deaths (Thailand had about 5,000). Especially Galle was severely affected, the tsunami claimed about 3,900 lives in the city and caused severe damage - the train station was also destroyed and rebuilt, this time, like many other houses, with an upper floor: