The commercial centre of the state Kochi is in Ernakulam. With the best natural harbour in the world, Ernakulam was a major centre of trade with a variety of traders from the Arabs, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch and the British. Ernakulam has the historic Fort Kochi. Before it became the first European settlement in India, Ernakulam was a small fishing village. As the days went by, the character of the village changed. It became a city of culture and the European influences can be seen from the examples of Indo-European architecture that still exist. India's oldest church, the St. Francis Church, is in Ernakulam.

Mattancherry Palace (Dutch Palace): Built by the Portuguese in 1557 and presented to Raja Veera Kerala Varma of Kochi, the palace was renovated in 1663 by the Dutch. On display here are beautiful murals depicting scenes from the epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata, and some of the Puranic Hindu legends. The palace also houses Dutch maps of old Kochi, royal palanquins, coronation robes of former maharajas of Kochi as well as period furniture.
Willingdon Island: Named after Lord Willingdon, a former British Viceroy of India, this man-made island is surrounded by beautiful backwaters. The island is the site of the city's best hotels and trading centres, the Port Trust and the headquarters of the southern naval command.

The Hill Palace Museum, Thripunithura: 10 km from Kochi, Hill Palace, the official residence of the erstwhile Kochi royal family, was built in 1865. The palace complex consists of 49 buildings 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. 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, 19th century paintings, murals, sculptures in stone and plaster of Paris, manuscripts, inscriptions and coins belonging to the royal family.

Synagogue : 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 years later by the Dutch. Known for mid 18th century hand painted, willow patterned floor tiles from Canton in China, a clock tower, Hebrew inscriptions on stone slabs, great scrolls of the Old Testament, ancient scripts on copper plates etc.

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