Sintra is often described as a town (vila), but its global significance and the sheer number of landmarks it contains make it feel much larger than its permanent population of roughly 30,000 might suggest. Located just 30 kilometers from Lisbon, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site that covers a vast, hilly landscape known as the Serra de Sintra. While the "historic center" (Sintra-Vila) is a charming, walkable area with narrow streets and traditional shops, the wider Sintra municipality is quite large and serves as a major residential hub for the Lisbon metropolitan area. What makes it unique is the "cultural landscape"—the town is a cluster of dramatic palaces, estates, and castle ruins, including the Pena Palace, the Quinta da Regaleira, and the Monserrate Palace. Because it attracts millions of tourists every year, the infrastructure is very developed, with a train station, numerous bus routes, and a thriving hospitality sector. So, while it technically has the "feel" of a small, romantic mountain village, its administrative reach and its density of world-class monuments make it one of the most important and visited cultural hubs in all of Portugal.