Polonnaruwa was Sri Lanka’s medieval royal capital from the 11th to the 13th century – more compact and better preserved than its ancient predecessor Anuradhapura, and navigable by bicycle in a single deeply rewarding morning. The Royal Palace complex, the Sacred Quadrangle and the Gal Vihara rock temple are the centrepieces. The Gal Vihara is particularly extraordinary: four monumental Buddhas – a seated, a standing and a reclining figure, plus a smaller seated Buddha within a shrine – carved directly from a single face of natural granite in the 12th century, with a technical mastery and a serenity of expression that has moved visitors continuously for over 800 years. A specialist heritage guide gives the site the narrative depth it deserves.