Colombo / Sri Lanka
The capital of Sri Lanka has been a thriving and fascinating port city for centuries. Already sailors from Persia and Morocco landed here and traded with precious stones, spices and exotic animals. Today Colombo has around 600,000 inhabitants. In the cosmopolitan city, all styles point out to the old world: Hindu temples, Buddhist places of worship, grassy bastions and Portuguese churches mingle in the cityscape.
The office and business district of Colombo is called "Fort". Here is also the old parliament. An important place is the Independence Hall, which was built 1946. The National Museum was the first public museum of Sri Lanka (1877) - ancient art and antiques give an insight into the history and culture of the country. In the Gramodaya Folk Arts Centre visitors get an excellent overview of the products Ceylon Art. The ancient royal residence Kandy and the ruined cities of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Sigiriya are the most visited destinations of culture-interested holiday makers.On the long palm-fringed sandy beaches you can wonderfully relax.
