Kochi, formerly known as Cochin, is believed to be the finest natural harbour in the world, with breathtaking views. Cochin was the oldest European settlement in India, with a history of visitors who came, saw and stayed for hundreds of years. Consequently, one sees impressions of Chinese, Arab, Jewish, British, French and Portuguese influences. Giant Chinese fishing nets that billow from massive teak and bamboo poles dot the entrance to the harbour. Silhouetted against the setting sun, they present a magnificent sight at the waterfront. The oldest church in India, 500-year-old Portuguese houses, old tiled houses built in the Chinese pagoda style, synagogues and mosques all tell the fascinating story of this harbour town. The older parts of Fort Cochin and Mattancherry are an unlikely blend of medieval Portugal, Holland and an English country village grafted onto the tropical Malabar coast. A narrow, palm-fringed island, easily accessible from the mainland, is where the Bolgatty Palace is situated. The palace was built by the Dutch in 1744.