Lion's Rock - Sigiriya

Sigiriya is arguably the most memorable cultural site Sri Lanka has to offer. 200 m high, the massive monolith with the fortress enthroned on it rises into the air above the fertile land. The militant story of two half-brothers from the 5th century shapes the origin of the rock fortress. In addition to the fantastic view, Sigiriya fascinates above all with well-preserved frescoes such as the famous "Cloud Maiden".

Ancient capital of the Anuradhapura Empire

Sigiriya used to consist not only of the rock fortress itself. At the foot of the mountain was an entire city, which was the temporary capital of the Anuradhapura Empire for almost 20 years and was finally abandoned completely in the 14th century.

In 478, the illegitimate king's son Kassapa had murdered his father and expelled his half-brother to India. To be on the safe side, he had the "lion fortress" Sigiriya built, which he chose as his residence. Several indications indicate that the fortress was designed to be based on the heavenly seat of the gods.

Kassapa's half-brother and actually legitimate King Moggallana returned in 496 and defeated the troops, whose leader took his own life because of the imminent loss of power. In 1898, after the discovery, the excavations finally began.

Things to do in Sigiriya

Below the mountain fortress you can visit a geometrically designed pleasure garden, which was provided with gargoyles and watercourses. If you climb up to the fortress, you will pass various caves on your way up or down, some of which served as a residence for monks: Cistern Rock, Cobra Cave, Predigtfels and Audience Hall.
Halfway up to the fortress you reach the mythical "Cloud Girls". They are a whole series of bare-breasted beauties, who are usually interpreted as playmates of the gods. The rock overhang has protected the artifacts from the weather for over 1500 years.
Lion Staircase : The actual fortress is entered via a staircase flanked by the remains of a huge lion statue that used to be 14 m high. Today, only the paws of the symbolic feline of prey remain. However, you should be free from giddiness.
Ruins of the actual palace, consisting of foundation walls, on the sloping plateau: the upper and lower palaces as well as the royal gardens are grouped around the water basin, which was carved out of the stone in the middle.
Insider tip for photographers: The Pidurangala Rock Everyone knows the Sigiriya Rock. Much less known is the neighboring, inconspicuous Pidurangala Rock. It is only 1 km away from Sigiriya as the crow flies, but hardly any tourists make their way here.
Why should you climb it anyway? Clearly, Pidurangala offers the best conditions to photograph the majestic Lion Rock rising majestically from the plain at eye level and to let it work its magic on you in an almost lonely atmosphere - without any entrance fee.

Best time to travel and climate for Sigiriya

In Sigiriya it is usually very hot and it rains quite a lot. The months of January to March or June to August are suitable for a visit. At the same time, February (21 to 30 degrees) is particularly dry and cool. In the months of April and May it gets very hot and there are frequent heavy downpours. June to August are the driest months, but it gets hotter than January to March. Most rainfall in Sigiriya occurs from October to December.

Duration of the trip at Sigiriya Rock

You should plan half a day to visit Sigiriya. It takes about 2.5 hours to ascend and descend. Our tip: Choose the early morning for the visit, the facility opens at 7:00 a.m.

Itineraries through Sigiriya Rock

A visit to Sigiriya can be embedded in a Sri Lanka round trip in many ways, because it is conveniently located in the middle of the cultural triangle: Sigiriya is about 30 minutes from the cave temple city of Dambulla, 1.5 hours from the old royal city of Polonnaruwa, 2 hours from Anuradhapura and 2.5 hours from Kandy. A good place to stay is the nearby town of Digampathaha with short distances to Dambulla and good tour connections to Anurahapura and Polonnaruwa.

The city of Sigiriya cannot be reached by train, the journey by intercity bus is quite cumbersome, as there are no direct connections.