Sri Lanka’s medieval golden age in stone – a compact, beautifully preserved ancient royal capital that flourished between the 10th and 12th centuries and left behind the Gal Vihara’s colossal Buddha sculptures, the extraordinary Parakrama Samudra reservoir, and the Royal Palace ruins as enduring evidence of a civilisation at its most artistically accomplished and politically powerful. Best explored by bicycle through the archaeological zone, Polonnaruwa rewards unhurried engagement with a density of fine medieval heritage unmatched anywhere in the country.