Melaka is a must visit state if you are coming to Malaysia for holiday. It boasts itself for being Malaysia’s historical city. Tourists love Melaka because it is like taking a journey to the golden age of Melaka. Melaka is also the home of many adventures in the journey to the nation’s independence. It’s definitely safe to say that this small state has played a great role in the history of the nation. There are many historical sites that give visitors a glimpse into the annals of history here which will definitely make the history and culture lover very happy.
One such historical site is St Johns Fort. Located near the grave site of Bukit China, this fort was used by the Dutch in their attempts to fully possess the land. This site was originally used as a Portuguese chapel. The Portuguese built the site in honor of St John the Baptist and saw many Portuguese and some of the locals attending the chapel services. The structure of the site still resembles that of a quaint chapel. It was only later on that the Dutch threw in some modifications to allow the site to be used as a fort to protect their grounds.
Getting to the fort is an adventure by itself. The fort; or at least what remains of the fort stands magnificent on a hill which looks out to the view of the Melaka town and the sea side nearby. On a clear day, you can see quite far from here. The top of the hill offers a gentle breeze. It is a great place to just take in the view. A slow walk from the bottom to reach the fort at the top of the hill would take you about ten minutes and good walking shoes and sunblock are necessary to make your journey to the St John`s fort a pleasant one.
The walls of the fort are certainly something you should see for yourself. The structure that still remains from the days of the attacks from the Malay forces gives great insight into the history of the land. Here, visitors also have the chance to see the embrasures that allowed guns to face the sea to protect the land from invasion from the sea side. Standing in the fort, it is very easy to just close your eyes and imagine yourself in the Dutch camp as your fellow comrades guard the land on St John`s Fort. Some of the cannons that were used are still here today and is a great place to take some memorable photographs.