Polonnaruwa was Sri Lanka's second ancient capital, flourishing between the 10th and 13th centuries AD and home to some of the finest medieval architecture in Asia. The UNESCO World Heritage Site contains the remarkable Gal Vihara — four colossal Buddha figures carved directly from a single granite face — as well as royal palaces, the Parakrama Samudra irrigation reservoir, and dozens of well-preserved temples and dagobas. Unlike the sprawling ruins of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa is compact enough to explore comfortably by bicycle in a single day.