Named after an old church that is no longer there
- Church Street
- Open 24/7
9 am
Sunday morning. Locals from around Galle flock to one of the two churches, dressed in their Sunday best. Choirs sing, and church bells ring on this serene and sacred morning. Iconic and proud stand these two signposts of changing times. The sober white-gabled Dutch Reformed Church — its massive stone slabs carrying more than two centuries of stories of life and death — and the gothic Anglican All Saints Church, its stained-glass windows and grand arches a forever convivial anchor in the local community.
7 pm
Pre-dinner cocktails at the stylish front porch of the luxurious Amangalle - the old Eastern Oriental - or in one of the old merchant mansions and shipping offices-turned-boutique hotels. The palm-shaded street-side veranda of Galle Fort Hotel is the place to be, and the equally smart neighbouring Fort Bazaar is also a popular choice. Chic sundresses, straw hats, the sound of laughter and ice cubes tinkling in tall glasses. Why not stay for dinner?
Although the very first church - that gave the street its name - is no longer there, the two remaining churches give the street an elegant grandeur that is unmatched anywhere in Fort.