Climb Sigiriya in Sri Lanka for simply incredible views

Sigiriya, also known as Lion Rock,is an ancient rock fortress located in the northern Matale District near the town of Dambulla in Sri Lanka’s Central Province. Built in the fifth century, the fortress consists of around 1,200 steps dominated by a massive column of granite rock approximately 180m high. Don’t be worried though, the climb is marked with good paths and stairs and the start at the terrace gardens provides the most impressive perspective of the rock!

During your way up, have a breather and marvel at the Sigiriya Frescoes (the old wall drawings), a mirror wall and at the claws carved out of the rock. When you get to the summit, pat yourself on the back and soak in the incredible 360 degrees view over the whole area.

King Kashyapa built the palace on top of the rock and decorated its sides with colourful frescoes. About halfway up the side of this rock, he built a gateway in the form of a giant lion, which gives Sigiriya its name as The Lion City. The capital and the royal palace were abandoned after the king’s death and, until the 14th century, it was used as a Buddhist monastery. Sigiriya is a UNESCO listed World Heritage Site and one of the best preserved examples of ancient urban planning.