The Peradeniya Botanical Gardens are just minutes from the city centre and is well known for its huge collection of indigenous plants, trees and herbs. Spread across the 147 acres of parkland, are over 4,000 varieties of plants, making the gardens the best place to observe local vegetation. The historic gardens date back to the year 1371 when a temple was first erected at the site. It was in 1821 that Alexander Moon established the place as a park. The gardens are a beautiful haven across which the mighty Mahaweli River – the largest in the country, flows.