Mattanchery Palace: a royal walks among royals
Mia the cat explores Mattancherry Palace and finds it disability friendly. There is a stairlift at the entrance and information in braille inside.
Published 27 June 2025
Did you know
The floor of Mattancherry Palace looks like black marble. It’s actually lime, egg whites, plant juices and burnt coconut shells.
Mattancherry Palace, commonly called the Dutch Palace, is actually Portuguese: it was constructed around 1550 and presented as a gift to the Rajah of Cochin. It became associated with the Dutch only after they renovated and altered it more than a century later.
The sunlight glinted off my ginger fur—naturally—right as I jumped onto the wall outside my house. Perfect lighting, perfect timing. The universe knows when I am making an entrance.
Hello, it is me—Mia. Your local princess, now also an art critic, palace inspector, and amateur history enthusiast at Cats of Kochi. I moved into my lovely new home (quiet, cozy, and refreshingly Bandit-free). I have made it my mission to explore the elegant, the mysterious, and the just-plain-fabulous corners of Fort Kochi.
And today? Today called for something grand. Regal. With arches and stories and maybe a dramatic hallway or two.
I went to a palace.
Yes, a real one. Mattancherry Palace, or what the humans like to call the Dutch Palace. Personally, I think they should rename it “Mia’s Summer Estate,” but that is a conversation for another time.
The palace is not too far from my house, short stretch down cobbled streets and past a few curious birds (I let them live).
At first glance, it looked simple. White walls, a sloping roof, nothing too showy. But do not let it fool you. This place holds centuries of secrets. And it smells like it, too—wood, dust, ink, and memories.
What (somewhat) pleasantly surprised me was how disability friendly this place was! There was a stairlift at the entrance making it wheelchair accessible. There was even information in braille inside.