The architecture of Kerala is an amalgam of external influences, both foreign and Indian. The Padmanabhaswamy temple and the Napier museum in Thiruvananthapuram, the Bolgatty palace in Kochi the Arakkal place at Kannur and the Kolathiri palace at Chirakal are but only a few examples of Kerala's architecture. The traditional houses of Keralites, the Nalukettu were built in accordance with the principles of Thachusatra, the science of carpentry and the Vasthushastra, which are again emerging as an indispensable pre-requisite in any form of construction works.

Kanakakunnu Palace
Situated on a hillock in the Museum compound, this beautiful old palace of the Travancore Rajas is stunning piece of architectural excellence. At night when the palace grounds are lit by garden lamps, the gabled, pagoda style red brick structure comes alive, brining to mind the royal majesty of the kings who once inhabited its mighty interiors. Inside one can see large crystal chandeliers and exquisite pieces of royal furniture.

Napier Art Museum 
It is an absolute gem of architectural exuberance, combining traditional Kerala styles with good doses of Chinese and Mughal influences. The 19^th century English architect, Chisholm, threw in a few touches of Brighton for good measure and ended up with building that is guaranteed to leave you smiling at its electric charm. The interior is every bit as intriguing as the exterior with pink and baby blue stripes alternating with stripes of yellow and cherry red, scalloped arches of a banana yellow, interspersing elaborately carved balconies, the whole linked together with red and white lattice work and mock friezes. The collections are as varied and eclectic as the building and you will spend a pleasant few hours browsing through them. Make sure to have the keeper explain the unique natural Air-Conditioning system.

Kuthiramalika
This enchanting, rambling old bungalow (a   palace of sorts) is adjacent to the Sri Padmanabha Swami Temple in East Fort. Kuthiramalika has on display ornaments, personal effects and weapons of the king of Travancore. More than anything, Kuthiramalika is an architectural delight. It was here that the great poet-king Travancore Sri Swathi Thirunal (1813 to 1846) composed many of his verses.

Vizhinjam Rock Cut Cave
Located 17 kilometers from Trivandrum. Vizhinjam was earlier the capital of the many Chieftains who ruled the southern parts of Kerala around the 8^th century A.D. The granite cave here encloses a one-celled shrine with a loose sculpture of Vinadhara Dakshinamurthi. The outer wall of the cave depicts half completed relief of the Hindu God Shiva with his wife and dancing partner Goddess Parvathi.

Koyikkal Palace (Nedumangad)
Located 18 kilometers from Trivandrum on   the way to the Ponmudi hill station and the Courtalam waterfalls, this ancient palace that dates back to the 15^th century, is famous in the history of Kerala as the official residence of Perakom Thavazhi (the material lineage), especially of Umayamma Rani of the Venad royal family. Here you can see a double storied traditional Nalukettu building with slanting gabled roofs, an inner courtyard and two museums of folklore and numismatics set up by the Department of Archeology. (Open from 9.00 AM to 5:00 PM all days except Mondays)

Mattancherry Dutch Palace
A beautiful palace dating back to AD 1557, built by the Portuguese for the use of the Raja of Kochi (Cochin). Renovated by Dutch settlers a century later, the double storied building stands tall between the Jewish synagogues in the south and the panoramic backwater network in the east. The architecture is of the typical domestic Kerala style called Nalukettu with a central courtyard connecting 4 separate complexes with wooden slatted walls and gabled roofs. (Open from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Saturday through Thursday)

Displayed inside are extensive murals depicting scenes from the Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharatha and some of the Vedic Hindu legends. Other interesting inclusions are: the royal bed chamber (palliyara) with 17^th century murals depicting 45 scenes from the Ramayana - right from Purakameshtiyaga (the sacrificial royal ceremony soliciting the birth of a child) to Sita Devi's return from captivity; the covered porch, the coronation hall with the carved ceiling, a collection of royal dresses, turbans and three palanquins six large murals representing the Hindu God Guruvayoorappan and the coronation of King Rama, the staircase room or Kovinithalam leading to the ladies' chamber adorned with murals representing the great poet Kalidasa's Sanskrit verse, Kumarasambhava a painting of Lord Vishnu at Vaikuntha, the deity of Tripunithura temple a spacious hall featuring royal paraphernalia like weapons, swings and furniture, the lower story with kitchen, dining hall etc. and the Bhagavthi temple in the central courtyard.

Jewish synagogue (Fort Kochi)
Is open from 10:00 AM to 12:00 noon and 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM from Sunday to Friday. Constructed in 1568, this is the oldest synagogue in the commonwealth. Destroyed in a shelling during the Portuguese raid in 1662, it was rebuilt two yeas later by the Dutch. The synagogue sports mid 18^th century handmade, blue willow pattern floor tiles (no two tiles are similar) from Canton in China, a clock tower, Hebrew inscription on a stone slab and finely wrought gold and silver crowns) Also on display are the Greet Scrolls of the Old Testament and copper plats on which privileges were granted to the Jewish community by the rulers of ancient Kochi.

Pallipuram Fort
A 16^th century fort built by the Portuguese in 1503, captured by the Dutch un 1661 and sold to the State of Travancore in 1789. Situated in the north extreme of Vypeen Island, it's one of the oldest of existing European monuments in India.

Hill Palace Museum (Thripunithura)
Is open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on all days except Mondays. 10 kilometers from Kochi, Hill Palace, the official residence of the Kochi royal family was built in 1865. The palace complex consists of 49 buildings built in the traditional architectural style of Kerala and is surrounded by 52 acres of terraced land with a deer park and facilities for horse riding. All sorts of flora of Kerala including rare medicinal plants are found here. A full-fledged ethno-archaeological Museum and Kerala's first ever Heritage Museum are the main attractions.

Displayed inside the thirteen galleries are oil paintings, 19^th century paintings, murals, sculptures in stone and plaster of Paris, manuscripts, inscriptions, coins, belongings of the Kochi royal family, Paliathachan's gallery and royal furniture including the simhasana (the throne or the king's chair). Also exhibited are: 200 antique pieces of pottery and ceramic vases from China and Japan, kudalkall, tomb stone thoppikkallu, hood stone menhirs (granite / Literate memorials) rock cut caves belonging to the early iron, age wooden temple models and plaster cast models of objects from Mohanjodaro and Harappa of the Indus Valley civilization of North India. The upper story houses a gallery of contemporary art.

Edakkal Caves
Edakkal caves situated in the Ambukuthi Hills, 10 kilometers from Sultan's Battery, are two natural rock formations formed by a large split in a huge rock. Inside one can marvel at the ancient stone scripts, carvings and pictorial wall inscriptions of human and animal figures with peculiar headdresses and swastik forms and symbols. Archaeologists consider these as one of the earliest centers of human habitation. It is believed that similar straight-line cave drawings (considered 7000 years old) can be seen only in Stiriya in the European Alps and a few rocky places in Africa. The pictures depict the moods of man and woman, stars, bow, knife, palm etc.

Bekal Beach and Fort
16 kilometers south of the town on the National Highway, is the largest and best preserved fort in the whole of Kerala, surrounded by a splendid beach. Shaped like a giant keyhole, this magnificent historical fort offers a superb view of the Lakshadweep Sea from its tall observation towers, where long ago huge cannons used to be placed. Nearby there is an old mosque said to have been built by the valiant Tipu Sultan of Mysore. Established by the ancient Kadampa dynasty, the fort changed hands over the years to the Kolathiri Rajas, the Vijayanagar Empire, Tipu sultan and finally came under British.

Tipu's Fort
Dating back to 1766 A. D, this fort was built by the famous Hider Ali of Mysore, captured by the Zamorins and later renovated by the British in 1790. Today it is protected by the Archaeological survey of India and is one of the best-preserved forts in the state.

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