The Cultural Triangle

Sri Lanka contains seven amazing UNESCO world heritage sites within its compact coastline.

Six are the testimony of a civilization with over 2000 years of history, while the seventh, a natural site, boasts one of the highest biodiversity outside the Amazon basin.
Two of the sites, the sacred Anuradhapura, and the ancient city of Polonnarwa, feature huge dagobas (dome-shaped structures) and statues of Buddha.
The most intriguing and popular World Heritage Site is Sigiriya (4th century AD), a stupendous rock on which a patricidal king built a magnificent palace.

The cultural heart of Sri Lanka is an essential stop for the passionate traveler of ancient civilizations. As for pomp and grandeur, the island really has a picturesque history and in this central region, known as the cultural triangle, several capitals of the Singhalese ruling dynasties sprang up. A trip to Sri Lanka to admire the wonders of Dambulla, Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa (the ancient capital with the best preserved ruins to date), Anuradhapura (probably the largest city in Asia at its peak) and many other ancient ruins.