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Photo: Challiyan at Malayalam Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons
A historical beach where 1st Portuguese-Dutch war broke out in the 17th century. Once a very large beach, it has reduced to a quarter in size after the 2004 tsunami. A beautiful, small walkway is ideal for evening strolls. One can find remnants of the Old Portuguese Immanuel Fort, along with parts of the Dutch Stormberg Fort, with some cannons still kept intact. An obsolete boiler that was once used for powering cranes of old port and a very large anchor of an old Portuguese ship are displayed on the walkway. Works for creating a new artificial beach are undergoing near this old beach with the help of the Tsunami development funds.
Fort Kochi Beach is a beach along the Arabian Sea, situated in the Fort Kochi neighbourhood of the city of Kochi in Kerala, South India.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Typical Indo-Dutch architecture, this bungalow was built on the site of the erstwhile Stromsburg Fort, which was demolished during the Arab raids. It serves as the District Heritage Museum.
CSI Pally
Constructed by the Portuguese in 1503, and the burial place of Vasco da Gama (his remains were later transferred to Lisbon). His tombstone can be seen inside the church. The church has a large cemetery which serves as the resting grounds of many Portuguese army officials and soldiers. The church is the only Catholic Church not demolished by the Dutch, which was handed over to the British to re-establish an Anglican church. A large war memorial is at the back and honours the unknown soldiers who died in World War I.
This 315 year-old Dutch bungalow was the official residence of Dutch Army commanders, the most famous being Hendrik Adriaan van Rheede tot Draakestein, who authored Horticus Malabaricus. The complex belongs to the Netherlands Govt. agency CNO which has been renovated to open a large art gallery, a traditional Dutch performing arts centre and a large studio for young painters. The building is a classic specimen of colonial Dutch architecture with elaborate Dutch gardens. Check at the reception to know the schedule of cultural performances.
Cheenavala
Serves as the official icon of Kochi and is a testimony of relations between the Ancient Chinese Empires and the Cochin Kingdom. They were gifted by the Chinese Emperor Kubalagi to the Kochi King in the 14th century. There were more than 100, though only a few remain in working condition.
The only remains of the office of the Dutch East India Company is this large wooden gate with a monogram VOC (Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie), the emblem of Dutch East India Company.
Loafer’s Corner
The most famous street of Fort Kochi, which gives you a slice of authentic colonial European architecture. The only street that never faced any raid or demolitions in the past, Princess street is a perfect destination for an evening walk with numerous western-style cafes, souvenir shops, art galleries and heritage complexes.