Sigiriya

Sigiriya rises abruptly above the plains of central Sri Lanka and preserves the remains of a 5th-century royal citadel built by King Kassapa I. The ascent passes moats, symmetrical water gardens, mirror-wall graffiti, and the famous lion-paw gateway before reaching the summit ruins. UNESCO describes it as an ancient city set on the steep slopes and summit of a granite peak, and Sri Lanka Tourism highlights it as one of Asia's oldest landscaped gardens. It works equally well as a heritage stop and as a base for wider exploration of the island's Cultural Triangle.