Sigiriya (Lion Rock)

Sigiriya (Lion Rock) is another UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the ancient Citadel of Sigiriya sat atop a giant gneiss Rock 200m above the plains below.

Monks lived at the base in the third century BC, but King Kassapa put it on the map in the fifth century AD when he chose the summit for his new Royal Palace, complete with gardens and pools. The Rock was transformed into a recumbent Lion, of which only the paws remain today; unfortunately, his reign lasted just 18 years. The ruins were discovered by British archaeologists in the 20th century.

The Lion Rock is accessed via the Water Gardens and Boulder Gardens, and the way up is via the Lion Platform. At the summit, there are the remains of the Palace and magnificent views of the countryside.

On the way down, we pass the highly polished Mirror Wall covered with ancient graffiti and the celebrated Sigiriya Damsels; this is a mural of beautiful, bare chested women (no photographs allowed). Further down, we pass the Audience Hall Rock and the Cobra Hood Cave before getting back to the Lion Platform.Les mer