Matara

Matara city is located on the southern coast of Sri Lanka, 160 km. from Colombo and is one of the largest settlements of the island. Matara today – a modern city with tall buildings and business offices, banks, government agencies, shopping centers, hotels, internet cafes, connected by roads and rail routes with other cities of the island.

From Colombo, you can arrive to Matara by train or bus, which depart from the station to the city every half hour. Travel time – 4 hours. Matara offers excellent opportunities to shop for every taste and at the lowest prices. Employees of retail and service excellent command of English.

The city has many craft centers and workshops for the manufacture of jewelry. In the area of ​​cultivated coconut, spices are grown, are mined precious stones (ruby, sapphire, aquamarine, etc.)

The city has a solid history and survived the reign of Portuguese, Dutch and British authorities. Since then, numerous historical monuments. In Matara should visit the following sites. Matara Fort – Building the Dutch in 1640, as a reinforcement for the garrison stationed there. Fort resembles a star shape and represents an exciting spectacle leaves no one indifferent of travelers who visited him.

The length of the fort is about 50 m height from the bottom 9 m of land with shaft, overgrown with grass, excellent view over the city. Fort quietly restored and impeccably renovated recently moat and drawbridge. In the central part of the shaft, retained a 12-meter high Clock Tower, built by the Dutch in 1765. The tower has always and consistently maintained administration of all ages and today stands as a monument to the glory of the ancient Dutch governors.

Although the mechanism constantly restores the tower clock, the architecture of the tower also remained unchanged. Another interesting building built in 1775 – Old Dutch Church – a superb architectural monument of the rural churches of the time, which in large quantities have been scattered in different parts of the Dutch dominions, and a small part of which survives to this day. Old Market – another reminder of the Dutch era.

It was built by the Dutch in 1775. This is the first building of the spectacular views that can be seen moving along the road from Colombo. The architecture of the building is maintained unchanged, although it is currently used as a cultural center for music and traditional Sri Lankan dancing.