Holiday Resorts in Sri Lanka with style and elegance and will give you an unforgettable holiday with plenty to do. And one of the best things to do in Sri Lanka is also overlooked because people seek to spend time in the fun, sun and water that surround the country, thus the beaches become very popular. However, if you are looking for some quiet relaxation time where you can wander around and enjoy a leisurely day and learn a bit of history while you relax, you might consider touring and exploring the forts in Sri Lanka. There is likely to be one close to whichever Sri Lanka Holiday Resort you have chosen as your base camp for your holiday.
The first colonial fort built in Sri Lanka is in Colombo and began as a Portuguese trading post. It was first called Santa Barbara when it was built in the year 1518. It was similarly abandoned in 1524 and then in 1554 a new fort was built and the city of Colombo was built around the fort. The fort has since been demolished and the city of Colombo and various Sri Lankan resorts occupy its place, as the city center is where the old fort once stood.
Galle Fort was first raised in the 17th century by the Portuguese and later taken over by the Dutch, who still own most of the property in the fort and it still looks as good as the day it was built. The current Dutch population here seeks to make this a free trade zone where no taxes will be collected, which will be great for both business and tourism.
Fort Frederick in Trincomalee has a long and colorful history as a fort and even today is commissioned with a garrison of soldiers, but is still available for tourists to visit and view. If you take the time to look, there remains information and partial remains of other forts throughout the country of Sri Lanka, although throughout history there were no less than at least seventeen forts in this country. Some of them remain in their entirety and some only have vague parts available to show the world that a powerful structure once lived there. The star fort is a good example.
Many of these forts were destroyed in battles and wars, making them the most interesting for history buffs and people who enjoy cannon battles on the island and offshore. An excellent example of ruins is the Matara fort in which the remains are still quite visible. Of the forts or parts of forts that have survived the test of time, many have been reclassified and are in use today serving as everything from a prison, as is the Negombo fort. Fort MacDowall became primarily a burial ground. Ruwanwella Fort is used today as a police station.