This is an important ancient city ruin site, another one of the country’s World Heritage Sites. Polonnaruwa was Sri Lanka’s second capital city, after Anuradhapura, thriving about a thousand years ago.
The garden-city is completely preserved, although most of the structures are in ruins. There are gardens, palaces, and temples, and while it’s rather compact, it’s best explored by bicycle. A bonus, the ruins are inhabited by a large troop of macaques, also residents of the area since ancient times. Duran Duran fans will recognize the site, as their Save a Prayer video was filmed here in the 1980s.
There’s a small, modern town a few miles from the ruins, with guesthouses, bike rentals, cafés, and other tourist services.
This is an important ancient city ruin site, another one of the country’s World Heritage Sites. Polonnaruwa was Sri Lanka’s second capital city, after Anuradhapura, thriving about a thousand years ago.
The garden-city is completely preserved, although most of the structures are in ruins. There are gardens, palaces, and temples, and while it’s rather compact, it’s best explored by bicycle. A bonus, the ruins are inhabited by a large troop of macaques, also residents of the area since ancient times. Duran Duran fans will recognize the site, as their Save a Prayer video was filmed here in the 1980s.
There’s a small, modern town a few miles from the ruins, with guesthouses, bike rentals, cafés, and other tourist services.
