Galle

Walking through the gates of Galle Fort feels like stepping through a portal. Built by the Portuguese in 1588 and fortified by the Dutch in the 17th century, this UNESCO World Heritage walled city is the best-preserved colonial fort in South Asia — and possibly the most charming. Within its ramparts, a labyrinth of cobblestone streets reveals Dutch colonial villas with pillared verandas, whitewashed mosques with minarets, Anglican churches with graveyards full of British sailors, and grand merchant houses converted into boutique hotels and art galleries. The fort sits on a rocky promontory jutting into the Indian Ocean, and walking the full circuit of its walls at sunset is one of Sri Lanka's great experiences — the sea crashing below, fishing boats bobbing in the harbor, and the lighthouse standing sentinel since 1939. Galle is also a living community, not a museum: Muslim families have lived here for generations, fishermen still cast their nets from the ramparts, and schoolchildren in white uniforms run through the streets at lunchtime. It is history that breathes.