Galle Town is a coastal port city established during the Portuguese colonial era in the 16th century, further developed by the Dutch during their take over in the 18th century. The vibrant town manifests an intermingling of cultures between east and west, where European churches and ramparts survive in a multi-ethnic South Asian town. The UNESCO World Heritage-listed town's centerpiece is Galle Fort a.k.a. the Dutch Fort, a historic fortress that preserves Galle's past as a fortified city.