Dating back from the sixth century BC, the ancient city of Anuradhapura is one of Buddhism’s holiest sites. It was Sri Lanka’s first Planned City and the First Historical Capital of Sri Lanka, and  gives a fascinating glimpse of a stately, well laid-out pre-Christian metropolis of massive Buddhist shrines and monasteries. Anuradhapura offers marvelous views of stepped pools and bell-shaped stups, or dagobas, which can be as much as 340 metres wide and 60 metres high. Its Archaelogical Musuem also contains a number of superb artifacts, which gives a wonderful insight into the beautiful history of this ancient city.