Sigiriya Rock Fortress

Sigiriya, the Lion Rock, is a granite column about 180 metres high in northern Matale District, Central Province, Sri Lanka, near Dambulla, which King Kashyapa turned into a palace fortress in the 5th century. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1982, it suits fit visitors who can manage about 1,200 steps.

King Kashyapa's capital on Lion Rock

King Kashyapa ruled from 477 to 495 CE and made the rock his capital. He died in 495 after losing a battle to his brother Moggallana. The site's old name, Sinhagiri (Lion Rock), comes from the lion-shaped gateway he built halfway up. UNESCO listed the Ancient City of Sigiriya in 1982, and it draws about a million visitors a year.

Water gardens and the fresco gallery

The path passes symmetrical water gardens, boulder gardens and terraced gardens, among the oldest landscaped gardens in the world. Higher up, a sheltered gallery holds the frescoes of women. They once covered a face about 140 metres long and 40 metres high; 22 survive. The mirror wall, of polished white plaster, carries verses scratched by visitors from the 8th century onward, 685 of them deciphered by Senarath Paranavithana. The lion's head has fallen, but its giant paws still flank the final staircase. The summit holds palace foundations and wide views over forest and reservoirs.

1,200 steps and the morning heat

Expect about 1,200 steps, some on exposed metal stairs, so it is hard for anyone afraid of heights. Gates open early, and heat and queues on the narrow stairs build fast after 9 am.