UNESCO attractions in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is very rich in cultural attractions and natural beauty. And in all this diversity, it is sometimes difficult to decide what is worth seeing and what can be missed. A kind of sign of the quality of attractions is its inclusion in the UNESCO list. There are 8 such places in Sri Lanka: six of them are cultural attractions, and two are natural. Below is a list and a brief description. Visiting these places guarantees you pleasure and satisfaction of curiosity. True, it is worth saying that in Sri Lanka these places are distinguished not only by the quality mark, but also by a particularly high, sometimes unjustified price.

Here is the cost of visiting only attractions:

• Anuradhapura - $30
• Dambulla - $10
• Mihintale - $4
• Sigiriya - $30
• Polonnaruwa - $25
• Ritigala - $10
• Horton plateau, Sinharaja Forest, Udawalawe and other national parks-admission $ 15+ $ 8 per group+Transport rental fee+guide escort+transport entry fee. As a result, the price of an independent visit costs from $ 30 with the most economical version of the visit and without taking into account the cost of transport.

Cultural attractions of Sri Lanka

• Ancient City of Polonnaruwa

  Included in the UNESCO list in 1982. It is a city in central Sri Lanka. It is known as the second capital of the state (after Anuradhapura) and an ancient city, and the ruins in the Archaeological Park of Polonnaruwa are one of the most popular attractions of the island. In our opinion, the place is simply a must-visit if you are at least a little interested in history and ancient monuments. It is visited as an independent tourist place, and to inspect carefully all the monuments of Polonnaruwa, you need at least a couple of days. Read more about Polonnaruwa here...

  

• Ancient City of Sigiriya

  Included in the UNESCO list in 1982. Sigiriya is an ancient city, built in the V century by King Kasapa as an impregnable fortress, but never became a full-fledged capital. The king built his palaces on an impregnable rock 370 meters high. At least Casapa believed that the impregnable Rock would protect him, but nothing came of it, and he was killed by his brother.

  The place is very exciting and interesting, and definitely worth a visit. There is only one drawback – an unreasonably high price for visiting the place. For a walk around the monument will have to pay $ 30. Today, Sigiriya is not a tourist city or district, and therefore it is visited as a separate attraction, spending several hours on inspection. Read more about Sigiriya here...

  

• Sacred City of Anuradhapura

  Included in the UNESCO list in 1982. The first capital of the Sinhalese State on the island of Sri Lanka, which was such from the IV to The X century AD.

  Today, Anuradhapura is the capital city of the province, but tourists are interested in the Archaeological Park with ancient monuments located nearby (the so-called Old Town). Near Anuradhapura there is another tourist place- Mihintale, from where Buddhism is believed to have spread in Sri Lanka.

  There is a lot to see in Anuradhapura: these are palaces, temples and pagodas. No one will remain indifferent to the scale of the monuments and their beauty. You can inspect everything in 1-2 days. Read more about Anuradhapura here...

  

• Golden Temple of Dambulla

  Included in the UNESCO list in 1991. The Golden Temple of Dambulla or cave temple was built in natural caves on the mountainside in the 1st century BC. This is a unique place both in age and entertainment, and it is definitely worth a visit, especially since it is located very close to Sigiriya, and their visit can be combined. The temple is located in the city of Dambulla and is one of its attractions. The city itself is not of particular interest, except that only as a place where you can stay overnight. Read more about Dambulla here...

  

• Old Town of Galle and its fortifications

  Included in the UNESCO list in 1988. Galle is located in southern Sri Lanka near popular beach resorts Unawatuna, Hikkaduwa, Bentota and others, making it one of the most visited and popular tourist destinations. True, the city itself is not of great interest, it's just an ordinary Lankan city, quite large by local standards. Interesting here is the Granite Fort-fortress built by the Portuguese in the XVII century, which to this day is the largest fortress built by Europeans in Asia. This fortress is a whole town, which can be called not only interesting, but also romantic. Here you can not only wander through the winding streets and enjoy the architecture and monuments, but even stay in one of the hotels or just sit in a restaurant. What is especially pleasant, visiting the fortress is still free, you will have to pay only for the entrance to certain monuments and museums on its territory. Read more about Galle here...

  

• Sacred City of Kandy

  Included in the UNESCO list in 1988. Another city in central Sri Lanka, but now the last capital of royal Sri Lanka. Today Kandy can be safely awarded the title of cultural and spiritual capital of the country. Here you can see not only interesting architectural sights, but also a traditional dance show. The main attraction of Kandy is the Temple Of The Tooth of the Buddha (Sri Dalada Maligawa), where it is believed that the most sacred Buddhist relic is kept - one of the four teeth of the Buddha. Learn more about Kandy here...

Natural (natural) attractions

• Central Highlands of Sri Lanka

  Included in the UNESCO list in 2010. The Highlands of Sri Lanka are located in the south-central part of the island. The most interesting places here are Horton Plains National Park, protected conservation area, Knuckles Conservation Forest. In these forests, located at an altitude of up to 2500 m above sea level, there is an extraordinary variety of flora and fauna, including several endangered animal species.

• Sinharaja Forest Reserve

  Included in the UNESCO list in 1988. Sinharaja forest is located in the south of the island. This is the last area on the island where the original rainforest remains. The variety of animal and plant species here is huge. Read more about Sinharaja forest here...