The Fort was the original Dutch settlement and later the heart of British colonial Colombo. It sits at the northern tip of the city, bounded by the sea on one side and the Beira Lake on the south. The Dutch warehouses, British banks, and government buildings are mostly intact, giving the district a faded colonial grandeur that contrasts sharply with the glass towers going up around it.
The district is safe to wander during the day. The checkpoints and barriers around government buildings (a legacy of the civil war) are still visible but less intrusive than they once were. The main landmarks — the Old Lighthouse, the clock tower, the Grand Oriental Hotel — are within easy walking distance of each other.