Polonnaruwa is located 215 km northeast of Colombo. From the 7th century kings Polonnaruwa used mainly as a country residence. In the 11th century AD, Polonnaruwa became Sri Lanka’s capital. Since 1982, the superbly designed archaeological park has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Remains of large stupas (Dagoba in Sinhalese) and temples with numerous Buddha figures as well as gardens, parks and palaces and various buildings of a sprawling city make the plant a major attraction of tourism on the island. In Polonnaruwa the monuments are younger than in Anuradhapura and therefore better preserved.
