Chatham St is seeing the ongoing renovations of old buildings, one of the grandest being the old colonnaded 1914 Central Bank building known as Central Point. The beautifully restored interior is a riot of Greco-Roman detailing and features the tallest chandelier in Asia. There's a small museum off the lobby about local money that's worth the time simply for the display on why bartering a cow for fish was a bad idea, thus leading to the invention of currency.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.1 MILES
This terracotta-tiled, Dutch-era structure dates back to the early 1600s. Beautifully restored, it's now home to trendy shops, cafes and restaurants. In…
2.07 MILES
Offering a captivating walk through Sri Lankan history, this delightful Colombo museum sprawls across a gleaming white, neo-Baroque building constructed…
0.79 MILES
This long open space traditionally faced a narrow beach and the sea. It was originally cleared by the Dutch to give the cannons of Fort a clear line of…
0.82 MILES
Dating to 1865, this municipal building from the British era is mostly empty today, save for some old trucks and municipal equipment on display in the…
1.95 MILES
Colombo’s biggest park was originally called Victoria Park, but was renamed in the 1950s after the mother of King Dutugemunu. It’s notable for its superb…
0.6 MILES
This unique museum was originally the 17th-century residence of the Dutch governor and has since been used as a Catholic seminary, a military hospital, a…
Federation of Self Employees Market
0.75 MILES
The concentrated and manic commerce of Pettah is concentrated even further in its markets. Stretching along 5th Cross St, this don't-miss market is a hive…
1.22 MILES
The 1749 Wolvendaal Church is the most important Dutch building in Sri Lanka. When the church was built, this area was a wilderness beyond the city walls…
Nearby Colombo attractions
0.02 MILES
The restored clock tower at the junction of Chatham St and Janadhipathi Mawatha (once Queen St) was originally a lighthouse that was built in 1857. It's…
0.1 MILES
This terracotta-tiled, Dutch-era structure dates back to the early 1600s. Beautifully restored, it's now home to trendy shops, cafes and restaurants. In…
0.11 MILES
In the heart of Fort, this fenced colonial estate is where the president lives.
0.15 MILES
Opened in 1996, this was one of the first modern office towers in Colombo.
0.16 MILES
Local retail giant Cargills once had its main store on York St. The now mostly empty ornate 1906 red building still shows its faded elegance in its long…
0.16 MILES
Sir Baron Jayathilaka Mawatha has the grandly restored Lloyd’s Buildings. Several other imposing colonial piles on the street are also in various stages…
0.2 MILES
Climb up onto the large central terrace of this 1954 lighthouse for views of the ocean, and the rapidly expanding commercial port and mega offshore…
0.23 MILES
Huge pelicans perch on light poles and otherwise lounge about at this roundabout. Watch where you walk.
- placement: superzone
- path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
- possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
- targeting:
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