Cintra is a small but proud kingdom on the southern edge of the North, at the mouth of the Yaruga river. Its lions are famous, its court is rich, and in the stories it is above all the realm of Queen Calanthe, the Lioness of Cintra, a ruler who would rather lose a battle than lose an argument. It is also the land Ciri was born to rule, which is exactly why so many powerful people care about it.
Cintra in the books
Cintra is where Geralt’s whole destiny begins. At a royal feast, Geralt helps Princess Pavetta and her cursed suitor Duny, and claims the Law of Surprise as his reward. That child turns out to be Ciri. Calanthe later marries Eist Tuirseach of Skellige, which ties the kingdom to the islands, and the druid Mousesack serves at her court.
When Nilfgaard invades in the First Northern War, Cintra falls. The capital is sacked in what the North remembers as the Massacre of Cintra, Calanthe dies rather than surrender, and young Ciri escapes the burning city with a nightmare knight in a winged helmet on her heels. At the end of the saga, the treaty that ends the Second Northern War is signed in Cintra, giving the Peace of Cintra its name.
Cintra in The Witcher 3
By the time of The Witcher 3, Cintra has long been under Nilfgaardian rule. It matters because of Ciri: as heir to the Cintran throne, she is a political prize, and Emperor Emhyr has his own very personal reasons for wanting her found. You won’t visit the kingdom in the game, but its history hangs over nearly every conversation about Ciri.
Want the full story of the place itself? Visit our Cintra location page.